Lineman's pliers
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Lineman's pliers (US English), also called combination pliers are a type of pliers used by Electricians and other tradesmen for gripping small objects, to cut and bend wire and cable, and to hammer other small tools, such as a chisel or screwdriver, and to hammer various types of hardware, especially staples and small nails. Lineman's pliers have a gripping joint at their snub nose, and cutting edge in their craw, and insulating handle grips that reduce (but do not eliminate) the risk of electric shock from contact with live wires (versions with properly tested and guaranteed insulation in two colors to make faults visible are also available). Some versions include either an additional gripping or crimping device at the crux of the handle side of the pliers' joint. Lineman's pliers typically are machined from forged steel and the two handles precisely joined with a heavy-duty rivet that maintains the pliers' accuracy even after repeated use under extreme force on heavy-gauge wire -- and even use as a hammer.
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[edit] Durability
Lineman's pliers owe their effectiveness to the rigid accuracy of their closing (cutting/gripping) action, and to the durable, forged steel from which they are machined. Although the cutting edge may effectively dull with prolonged use or misuse (for example, cutting large steel screws or wire, cutting live wires that electrically short and melt the tool's cutting edges), this tool is otherwise virtually indestructible because it does not depend on a knife-sharp edge, only a 'breaking' edge.
[edit] Typical uses
[edit] Cutting
Lineman's pliers are an essential item in the electrician's tool complement. They cut, bend, and may be used to strip wire insulation or cable jackets. As with most pliers and scissors or shears, lineman's pliers apply most force closest to the pivot-point of the two handles, so for larger materials, the closer one can get the wire or cable to the joint or 'craw' of the pliers, the easier and cleaner will be the cut.
[edit] Cutting metal-clad (MC) cable
A rotosplit is the ideal tool for this job, but lineman's pliers can be used to first 'crack' the spiral casing of the cable by bending it sharply, partially exposing the insulated wires, inside. This creates a place for the pliers to gain purchase, and, with the application of strong force with two hands, they will cut the cable. To strip the cable, saw through one wrap of the spiral metal casing using a metal-cutting saw blade (for example, on a hack saw or powered reciprocating saw) and then use two pliers to twist the casing sharply and break apart the sections on either side of the saw cut; if no saw or rotosplit is available, use the lineman's pliers to grasp the end of the cable and laboriously unwind 12 inches of stiffly-spiralled aluminum to expose the wire inside.
[edit] Gripping
The most common application of the lineman's pliers in gripping is to twist bare (stripped) wires together, to form a common electrical connection between the wires (wire nuts can be used to enhance this electrical connection and guard against corrosion of the contact-points between wires, as well as to insulate the bared wire ends and provide additional mechanical 'locking' of the junction). The gripping action of lineman's pliers is also be used to pull fish-tape ends in a long (high-friction) wire run through conduit, to crimp soft metals, or to pull nails and other fasteners.
[edit] Hammering
The massive pliers make a good hammer, either to re-position or form materials, or to drive fasteners, such as small nails or staples. Another common hammering action for the lineman's pliers is to tighten (or loosen) the lock-nuts or 'lock-rings' of cable connectors (a.k.a. 'Romex connector', 'BX connector', 'MC connector').
