I have been searching for days for a pair of Fish Lip Pliers used for stain glass but can not find them anywhere. I have searched ebay, froogle, newgroups (including this one), everywhere I could think of for links on where to buy them. I found a post in this newgroup from
2003 about these type pliers but the links in it were of course dead. Does anyone know of a store that sells these?
Nope, but not difficult to make your own from a pair of breaking pliers, the kind with the wider jaw that is straight on top and bottom. Looking at the pliers from the top, they need to be narrower at the opening end that at the hinge, when you turn them on edge, grind away material so the ends do not meet, but curve away from the opposite jaw. If you haven't seen a pair of fish lips, you are at a disadvantage, so post that info and someone can put up a link to a photo of one. Schlitz Studios in Milwaukee were making their own before they were on the market...
I just looked up top. why Nantucket brand? Chinese used to have some good pliers and were cheap, just not enough people bought them, which brings up the question, why are you? I mean I like mine, and use them alot, as do the helpers. Just curious.
I am in no way affiliated with these guys, but after looking around..
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go here and godown the page to #0802, and look and see if those can't be "reworked" as Imentioned to become a fish lip type plier. I don't believe you are going tofind the old fish lips, they are no longer produced to my knowledge.
Fish lip pliers are grozers. Get a pair of Knipix grozers. these are "soft" metal. and file the tips to the shape you want. If you are willing to wait my pliers look like fish lips but it took about 15 years of steady use to get the way
kind with the wider jaw that is straight on top and bottom. Looking at the pliers from the top, they need to be narrower at the opening end that at the hinge, when you turn them on edge, grind away material so the ends do not meet, but curve away from the opposite jaw. If you haven't seen a pair of fish lips, you are at a disadvantage, so post that info and someone can put up a link to a photo of one. Schlitz Studios in Milwaukee were making their own before they were on the market...
I just looked up top. why Nantucket brand? Chinese used to have some good pliers and were cheap, just not enough people bought them, which brings up the question, why are you? I mean I like mine, and use them alot, as do the helpers. Just curious.>
======================================== I am covetous of my 2 pairs of "fishlips" blue rubber handles. I think the way these work is that the inside of the jaws (for about 1/8") is BEVELED. With the one pliers you can either groze or break (pull away) and the narrow snout will get into most curves. I have not been able to find anymore EXACTLY like the ones I have. As in most effective tools, the need to replace them with tools that are not as good makes for more purchases and more experimenting to find ones that do the job.
email me and I will post a JPG of them......(when I find out where)!
These are the pliers which I described in a posting on SiliconFolly about two years ago. Maybe that is the one you found.
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found them at Franciscan Glass in Mountain View CA while on a visitfrom UK to US in about 1996 or 7. They are very effectivegrozing/nibbling pliers, the best I have ever used for tight insidecurves.I have never seen them on sale anywhere else.Frank
"These are the pliers which I described in a posting on SiliconFolly about two years ago. Maybe that is the one you found.
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found them at Franciscan Glass in Mountain View CA while on a visitfrom UK to US in about 1996 or 7. They are very effectivegrozing/nibbling pliers, the best I have ever used for tight insidecurves.I have never seen them on sale anywhere else.Frank" ======================= YEP, they be the ones
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And they are no longer made, at least aren't sold by any of the wholesalers that I have searched. Haven't tried Franciscan, too far from me, somebody might give em a ring, but a regular pair of breakers with some "adjusting" with a disc sander or belt sander ot grinder and you would have them, why go nuts searching, adapt!!
Thank you all for the advice. The pics given a few posts up are like the ones I have searching for. I am going to contact Franscisan Glass to see if thy happen to still sell them.
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