Recommendation for Tweezers

[Lish]

Hi,

 

Anyone can recommend a decent set of tweezers for dealing with tiny parts. I have a set of 6 but I tend to lose more parts with these tweezers, they seem to fly off the tweezers. I don't mind spending money to get good ones that wont keep getting me frustrated

 

What about reverse action? Are they worth it or does anyone use them.

 

Thanks

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by Lish
Word

[Kev The Modeller]

You'd be better off posting this in the tools section here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/18-other-tools/

 

From my experience it's not really the tool that's the issue, it's ones dexterity to the greater extent which in most cases will improve with practice.  Obviously the the correct tweezers for the part/item being picked up helps, I've found all of the Tamiya range to be excellent they're not cheap but are of top quality  You may also want to consider a pick up tool https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/pick-and-place-tool-fine-point-modelcraft-s-ptw1131.html  they come in 3 sizes large to fine, quite what that means I'm uncertain, they're on my list for a look see at the next show.     

Edited December 27, 2017 by Kev The Modeller

[Circloy]

I use tissue forceps- they have a grove in the gripping end. Whilst they don't stop all 'launchings' for me they have prevented the majority.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Adson-Brown-Braun-tissue-forceps-12-cm-serrated-Surgical-anatomic-Tweezer-curved-/152397228573

 

(other sources are available)

 

 

[Kingsman]

I've seen tweezers with lengthways and crossways slots inside the jaws, but not been tempted.

 

I have a whole range of tweezers of different shapes and sizes: there is no single universal type.  Generally you want to use jaws that are as wide as you can get away with for the parts you're handling.  Save the finest points for the smallest parts.  I find that finer points are more prone to "pinging" as the points are able to flex sideways.  My current favourites actually came in Italeri packaging.

 

There is a question of dexterity: use the lightest pressure you can, not a vice grip.  The tighter you try to hold, the more likely parts are to ping off into the carpet monster or dark corner monster.  In this respect the locking type can be hard to control, as can the self-closing type.  There's also a question of how you hold your parts.  For example, if you try to hold a small etched part - let's say a bolt head - across its width it is more likely to ping than if you hold it flat.

 

The various forms of sticky parts pickers have their uses, but I often find it hard to get the parts free once placed.  Sometimes a pin or scalpel tip is needed to hold the part down.  Also the parts can drop off before you want them to.  And they can get covered in glue.  I think the pencil type that you can re-sharpen and shape the point are most useful.

 

Plain matt stainless steel is preferable to chrome plating: chrome is inherently slippery.  Plastic tweezers are worse than useless.  The insides of the jaws need to be ground very flat with good square "sharp" edges, not soft rounded edges that encourage pinging.  You can gently bend the tips outwards a little so that they come together flat and parallel for a length rather than just meeting at the very tip - which encourages pinging.  Some come with a little flat section at the tip already ground in.

[Kingsman]

I think I may have a tweezer fetish..................  I used to have more but I had a clear out of the gash ones that had migrated to the back of the drawer a while back.  You don't often get to try before you buy.  These are the ones I considered worth keeping.

 

Most of the time at the moment I seem to use the black coated ones, some of which are Master Tools not Italeri as I said above.  Those are actually very nice.  The 3 bottom black ones might have come from a beauty counter IIRC.  I find that the bent-pointed designs are most prone to pinging as they're rarely properly aligned.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

I use reverse action tweezers ( squeeze to open). I get decent work out of them. I still get certain things like small brass tubing, that just fly away occasionally.  

[rayprit]

Like Corsair, I use 2 pair of reverse action tweezers................just about worn out and one pair have become magnetised, so, need replacing, you can pick a part up with them, set the tweezers down, still holding the part and in my case add more glue to kit then, get the part in the tweezers and apply.  Ordinary tweezers their is a strong chance if you release pressure for a second, you lose the part, reverse action, holds the part till your ready to apply it.......They are also ideal for soldering or painting small parts, but as mentioned above, the occasional part does still fly across the room

[Kev The Modeller]

What make and where did you get the ones marked 6 in the middle I've been looking for those for a while now?

[Kingsman]

Now that's a remarkably good question.  I believe I got them from Jadar Hobby in Warsaw: https://www.jadarhobby.pl/pa6-90-degree-curve-fine-point-tweezer-120mm-tool-p-22334.html

 

They have other nice tweezers too.  And lots of other good stuff, especially of central and eastern European origin.  A most excellent emporium that I've used for years - enough to get a standing 10% off.  In my experience utterly reliable.  They have an offer on at the moment - buy now and get a standing 5% discount.  No customs or VAT from Poland - until 2019!

 

On which subject, Hobby.dn.ua in Kiev are worth a look, although you do risk a Customs rummage.  https://2017.hobby.dn.ua/

[Kev The Modeller]

Thanks mate I'll take a look 

[Mitch K]

I use Dumont 2's and 4's, mainly, plus curved pointed dissection forceps. I've got a selection of haemostats, from micro size to up to just short of pliers, which are great for forming metal. I've got reverse action ones, mainly for holding stuff to paint, but that's about it. A pick-up pencil and stone-grip tweezers are really useful extras.