# Snap Ring Pliers (On the right path?)



## The_Apprentice (Mar 30, 2018)

So, I've made a number of jump-rings for my girlfriend to use on one of her projects. They are 1/8" inch stainless steel, with a little over 1.5" diameter.

She needs to slightly open the rings a little bit in order to snap them into places. The problem is there doesn't seem to be jewelry stores that sell tools for something this big. I have been looking around and the closest thing I can find that maybe can fit the job are reversible Snap Ring Pliers. 

There are a few issues with them though.


Most can't be used for rings that need to expand up to 1.5" or more.
A lot of the tips won't hold up against strong pressure
Making sure her hands don't get sore trying to get leverage
I am curious if we are on the right track here though, or if there is some other tool under a different name that would fit the project much better.

If worse comes to worse, I can try to just invent my own method and perhaps use some round-bar with a pin in my Mill to make our own plier-type tool. But that would take some time and experimentation...


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## Liljoebrshooter (Mar 30, 2018)

McMaster Carr has these.


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## David S (Mar 30, 2018)

Hi,
The snap rings I am familiar with aren't spread open like external c-clips but rather grasped with two pliers one on either side of the gap and twisted sideways to provide an opening.

Are these some how different?

David


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## francist (Mar 30, 2018)

There is a tool called a link spreader, I believe, that electricians use for chandelier chains. I've had it used twice when we were taking down very heavy chrystal chandeliers. Not all electricians have them, most favour the "twist from opposite sides" method mentioned above, as do I. But it is out there.

-frank


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## kd4gij (Mar 30, 2018)

Don't think a link spreader will work but the ones in post 2 should work unless the op is talking about a chain


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## f350ca (Mar 30, 2018)

Tire chain pliers might work.

Greg


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## dlane (Mar 30, 2018)

1.5” Id or od ? Stretching a 0 shouldn’t be a problem ,


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## The_Apprentice (Mar 31, 2018)

1.5" inner diameter. I'd like to expand even larger.

I found something at Home Depot (Atron Chain Pliers) but no hard stats given. I may ask them to take a look at it and see if it's something I could use.
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.chain-pliers.1000655652.html


Or, I'll simply drop by Princess Auto and do a modification to this tool:
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/4-in-1-interchangeable-snap-ring-plier-set/A-p8007417e


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## FLguy (Mar 31, 2018)

The Princess auto looks to be a quality tool.


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## Bob Korves (Mar 31, 2018)

FLguy said:


> The Princess auto looks to be a quality tool.


Don't count on it.  Some of the Chinese made ones look really nice until the handles bend, the snap ring warps, and the plier tips break off the first time you use them.  Snap ring pliers are a good place to splurge a bit for quality tools.


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## FLguy (Mar 31, 2018)

Pictures can lie. Hands on inspection, most likely not.


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## Dave Smith (Mar 31, 2018)

if you can find a spreader jaw for an old Eifel geared plierench it would work very good and it is adjustable ----it is geared so your wife could easily squeeze it----another tool that could maybe be modified to work good is a piston ring spreader tool---Dave


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## David S (Mar 31, 2018)

The_Apprentice said:


> 1.5" inner diameter. I'd like to expand even larger.
> 
> I found something at Home Depot (Atron Chain Pliers) but no hard stats given. I may ask them to take a look at it and see if it's something I could use.
> https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.chain-pliers.1000655652.html
> ...



I am still trying to understand your application.  Normally I twist jump rings sideways with two pliers to open and then twist back to close.  Often depending on material if I spread them and then try to close, due to the spring back they won't close tightly.  Are you going to have to close them tightly after you are done?

David


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## Hukshawn (Mar 31, 2018)

You mentioned these. I've used these LOTS as an electrician installing the custom lights in a house. I have two paires. They are not difficult to use. Little tricky to get oriented at first if you've never used them before, but it gets easier. I'm a big guy with strong manly hands, but I wouldn't imagine getting sore or tired would be much of an issue unless she's doing hundreds of rings, in which case, not really anything short of automation is going to solve that.


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## The_Apprentice (Apr 1, 2018)

Kukshawn, I grabbed a pair at Home Depot yesterday and she gave them a try. It was just a tad undersized, but using a special TRICK she got it to work fine so it looks like we are all good for now (finally).


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## Hukshawn (Apr 1, 2018)

I realized after I posted you were looking for something capable of 1.5” and those spreaders would be tight. 
I’m glad you got it worked out.


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## EmilioG (Apr 1, 2018)

Knipex makes great pliers. All type of Snap RIng and circlip. Hardened Crv steel. Made in Germany.


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## brino (Apr 1, 2018)

....one thing NOT mentioned above: Safety.

I don't know about "jump rings" in particular, but I know many other types of snap rings can fire off in random directions with surprising speed and energy. All it takes is for the snap ring to slip off the pliers and zzzzing!

So get her a pair of safety glasses too!

-brino


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## kd4gij (Apr 3, 2018)

I would of went to the shop and made something, but that's just me. However something like this should work and easy to modify if needed.
https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-55410-...4625&sr=8-12&keywords=battery+terminal+pliers


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## KBeitz (Apr 18, 2018)

Link-belt pliers...


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## 4cyclic (May 15, 2018)

Knipex on Amazon. Many sizes available.


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## bfd (May 15, 2018)

maybe a piston ring expander tool would work? or maybe I don't understand the idea. bill


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## The_Apprentice (May 16, 2018)

> So get her a pair of safety glasses too!



No kidding. I used a snap-ring to get a small c-clamp off part of my mini-mill a couple weeks ago. The damn thing shot off like a bullet ricocheting all over the basement. I was of course, wearing my eye-glasses. I always wear them any time I am working with anything under any kind of force/stress. I've learned lessons from observing my own father's eye injuries in the shop.


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## Silverbullet (May 17, 2018)

How about a piston ring installer for small engines ??


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