I saw this tool while watching a never summer factory video. I finally got around to making one today and it works great. I bought a tile nipper for $10 and ground down the edges. Its not that pretty but it works great.
I bought one too after that vid but I just used it stock and works great. I didn't find the need to grind it.
Iggy had one in his video also but I could never tell what it was.
When forming your edges and you over roll, this tool makes it very easy to straighten the edge back out in a controlled way.
Speeds things up in my opinion.
If I had another one I'd try some grinding on it, but I like it the way it is pretty much.
The small lip allows you to clamp down on the edge and twist your wrist to bend the edge slightly. It works great if you are just trying to fine tune. Here is the never summer vid, go to :54 seconds in.
I use a nipper too although my cut is a bit different.
The cut in the video has a U shaped cut on the other side to increase or decrease the radius of the bend. It compliments the other side with the single tooth. That way a quick squeeze will make the adjustment rather then a twist .
IMO that design is pretty aggressive in terms of how much bend it allows. I don't think anyone will ever have to bend as much as the tool allows in that video.
I grind a radius in mine with the opposite, complimenting radius on the other side. I have one that bends just a little, and one that bends a bit more.
I have a project coming up where I have to make more drastic changes to the edges so I'm definitely going to try that design too.
Also, I had to grind the handle at the opposite end so it would close all the way.
End dikes have been my secret weapon for a while, but i saw that vid too and wondered if that was a manafactured tool. I was thinking of trying it but dremeling out both sides so that that they match each other.
Also, a friend told me that he thouhgt there was HVAC crimping tool that looks like this. Might be worth perusing the Grainger catalogue (that sits on the magazine rack, next to the toilet).
OnDeck wrote:
Also, a friend told me that he thouhgt there was HVAC crimping tool that looks like this. Might be worth perusing the Grainger catalogue (that sits on the magazine rack, next to the toilet).