Want to straighten some wire?
No Nylon pliers? – No problem ….. make your own tool!
You’ll Need …..
* Large Clothespin * Couple of coffee stir sticks
* Larger nylon ties (Dollar Store $3 for a bag of them)
* Sandpaper * Exacto Knife
* Woodglue * 2 Part Epoxy glue or equivalent
How to Make it…..
Obviously, you need to be careful when using an exacto knife and the epoxy glue. Don’t make this tool if you are at all nervous about it – I don’t take responsibility for cut or glued fingers!
Take a clothespin and reverse it as shown above. You’ll need to notch out a new place for the spring, as the spring’s position has changed.
Cut and trim some nylon to fit the width of the clothespin. Don’t make the nylon pieces too long ….. just to where you see the flat angled pieces of wood in the picture above. It’s best to shave the width of the clothespin down to match the width of the nylon pieces. (Only shave off the sides up to the ends of the nylon pieces).
Put epoxy on the surface where the nylons will be going.
Clamp each nylon piece (smooth side up) to the wood, and leave ’til the epoxy has hardened.
Cut three small pieces of stir stick that go between the sticks. Make them the width of the clothespin. These little pieces make your ‘pliers’ so that they open and close properly
Now cut 4 pieces of stir stick that run along the edges on both sides. Glue ONLY one end of these, as they are guides that keep the straightener aligned!
Assemble your creation as per the picture above, and you are done …. Happy straightening!
Hope this makes sense …. If you mess it up, it’s only a clothespin away to try again! You can replace the nylons, and this thing works just as well or better than a storebought tool!