Apprentice tools

[FrodoOne]

Add good pliers and side cutters.

I suspect that he actually means "Diagonal Cutters" (or "Diagonal Pliers") such as https://www.totaltools.com.au/hand-tools/pliers/diagonal-pliers
(Two sizes [small and large] should be provided.)

"Side Cutting" pliers are actually "Bull Nosed" pliers
(such as https://eu-browse.startpage.com/av/anon-image?piurl=https://assets.cdn.thewebconsole.com/S3WEB7235/product-item/60f6207113f25.jpg&sp=1675923298T624f57d138c5625e5f9289148fcea25069ffccb1b055d63fa94f9e5ed20eb7ec )
and you will notice that these "Side Cutting" (Bull Nosed) pliers have a "notch" on each side, so that, if a wire is inserted in the aligned notches when the pliers are "open", it will be cut when the pliers are "closed".

 

[JohnD]

I wonder why a "plier" (a tool for bending or folding) became a cutting tool. A cutter "should" not be a "plier"

 

[Diver Fred]

I remember spending ages looking for a screwdriver set (not insulated) for my parents after getting more and more frustrated trying to find usable screwdrivers when at their house. My criteria were.

1. Comes with a nice box where every screwdriver has it's place.
2. Includes phillips, pozi and slotted (way too many sets include philips or pozi but not both) in the common sizes
3. Screwdrivers of the same size but different types were visually distinctive.

I found one eventually but it took a fair bit of searching.

Name and ... Then.

Maybe we have the same issue.

 

[ebee]

It`s amazing how many people do not realise the difference between Phillips and Pozi , Star point is used by many

 

[plugwash]

Name and ... Then.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VYBCWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[JohnW2]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009VYBCWG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I seem to recall that someone said that one should judge any set of screwdrivers by whether or not it included a 'neon' one

Kind Regards, John

 

[plugwash]

I seem to recall that someone said that one should judge any set of screwdrivers by whether or not it included a 'neon' one

I don't agree with them. Plenty of good brands include neon screwdrivers in their sets.

There are certainly nits I could pick about the set, the flat-blade drivers have non-parallel faces and expand to larger than their tip size a short distance up the shaft, while the full-size drivers are visually distinctive the precision drivers are all the same size and color requiring one to look at the small print or the head itself but overall it was the best fit I could find.

 

[JohnW2]

I don't agree with them. Plenty of good brands include neon screwdrivers in their sets.

I don't agree with them, either - which I suppose is the main reason for my tongue-in-cheek comment (with a smilie!)

Kind Regards, John

 

[ebee]

I think there was a national amnesty a few years back to allow everybody chance to dump those awful neon tester screwdrivers in a big bin at their local nick

 

[JohnW2]

I think there was a national amnesty a few years back to allow everybody chance to dump those awful neon tester screwdrivers in a big bin at their local nick

As has often been said, in the hands of people who 'know what they are doing' (and understand the limitations), they certainly have their uses.

I wonder what proportion of electricians do not have a neon screwdriver in their toolbox/whatever?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ebee]

I have one - neon and limiting resistor removed =, they are handy for terminals on intruder alarm control panels etc. Years ago I had a (Crabtree, nice size one) plugtop with two neons and three resistors for quick check of plugtop polarity - L to E neon and resistor, N to E similar, N to L resistor only. Correct indication meant the L/E neon glowed, reverse polarity meant N/E neon glowed, any other combination meant something is wrong. Of course it would not spot a N/E reversal.

A mate of mine had a mainstester neon screwdriver and dropped it in a bucket of water. Put it in his toolbox to dry off, next day he had forgotten and used it to test - OUCH, LOL.

Well at least the Charly Darwin method of selection did not apply on that occasion

 

[JohnW2]

I have one - neon and limiting resistor removed =, they are handy for terminals on intruder alarm control panels etc. Y

Fair enough (and I agree that they can be useful as screwdrivers in some situations). However, I'll re-phrase my question ...

I wonder what proportion of electricians do not have a neon screwdriver (with resistor and neon still present0 in their toolbox/whatever?

A mate of mine had a mainstester neon screwdriver and dropped it in a bucket of water. Put it in his toolbox to dry off, next day he had forgotten and used it to test - OUCH, LOL.

Kind Regards, John