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Module one: History and Safety
Module four: Specialist Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
Module three: Core Electricians Tools
Pliers and Cutters:
Types of Pliers and Cutters
Now that we understand the important differences between standard and VDE pliers it's time to look at the large variety of pliers and cutters available, how they're used and who would use them.
Combination pliers
Also known as Linesman's pliers or Engineers' pliers, these are perhaps the most common type of pliers found in a toolkit.
As their name implies, they have a combination of features designed to make them versatile.
Twisting
The flat serrated jaw is used to grip and bend sheet metal or bars. An electrician would also use this part of the pliers to twist together stranded copper wire before making a connection.
Gripping
The curved serrated jaw part is designed for gripping round metal rods or tubes. It can also be used for holding screw heads or nuts.
Cutting edges
Close to the pivot (where the greatest force can be applied) is a pair of cutting blades known as side cutters. They are called side cutters because the cutting edges are on one side of the jaws so that they can be used to cut close to a surface.
The side cutters will cut very hard wire (such as spring steel) without damaging the blades. As the hardness of the wire being cut reduces, the diameter of wire that can be cut increases.