That time I swore by safety wire pliers then tossed them mid-job

I was out on the line at KLAX changing a flap actuator on a 737 last Tuesday... had my fancy safety wire pliers out and everything. About halfway through the third twist, the cutter jammed and I couldn't get it to release. Ended up snapping the wire by hand and finishing the whole job with just my old Craftsman needle-nose and a pair of dikes. It took me 20 minutes longer but the wire came out way cleaner... no kinks or loose ends. Honestly, the simple tools gave me better control, less fumbling in a tight spot. Has anyone else ditched the specialty tools for just a basic kit on certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew69010d ago

Man I had almost the exact same thing happen with a pair of safety wire pliers I bought from Snap-On. The twist mechanism locked up on me halfway through a job on a Cessna 172 engine baffle and I just threw them in the toolbox and never looked back. I swear by a good pair of Kleins and a cheap set of dikes now, the wire comes out straighter and I can feel the tension way better. Plus when I drop a tool in the engine bay I don't have a heart attack like I just lost a weeks paycheck. You ever try just twisting by hand with a drill bit in a pinch?

alicew6810d ago

You ever have a buddy who thinks he's MacGyver with a pair of zip ties? My friend Carl tried to safety wire a lawnmower carburetor with a pair of needle-nose pliers and some speaker wire. Snapped three times before he just gave up and used a twist tie from a bread bag. Still ran like a dream, but that's all I need to know about trusting the cheap stuff.

logan70510d ago

Haha that's gold. Carl sounds like the kind of guy who would try to fix a transmission with a glue stick and some hope. I've seen people do some wild stuff with bread ties but never on a carburetor, that's impressive honestly. Bet it had more character than the factory setup anyway lol.