MTFCA Forum

Two years ago at the Tulare swap meet showing the FACT coil tester and I’m very innovative person came by and told me how he adjust the coil spring. Based on the information that he told me I finally built my own: Modified Knipex Wrench part number 86-03-150

Video
Here is a video explaining it:
https://youtu.be/5bEZWInCZH4

Things to improve upon:
Round Receiver
I contacted the original builder and he said it basically functions the same as what he built, but his had a round receiver for the rivet and a swedging hole for the hollow rivet.

Jaw Protectors
I see that the 10 inch version of this wrench has protectors. I think it would be very easy to put a hole in one jaw protector instead of modifying the pliers and leave the other side bare:
https://www.knipex-tools.com/products/p ... 8609250V01

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.

You will find that to be very handy and you must have spoken to either Ron Patterson (who made the one shown) or one of the 8 of us or so who got their mitts on one he made: It was designed to accomplish a couple of tasks on the points and to my thinking, one of the greatest features is that it could be set to continuously set rivet height to an exact height with a single squeeze once set up correctly. And it would continue to do it over and over again on any number of points. To others out there: if you do coils and ever run into one of these, grab it.

Thought I read a few years ago that the problem with the points had been corrected? Seems there was a post about the fix.
I have a pair of Ron’s vise grip version and have used but have not worked on coils for a while. But when I do I used it, worked just fine. Dan

Hey Scott ... I'm also one of the 8 or so that use the Patterson upper point rivit tool. ...... Point diameters were a bit larger on repro at one time and I also have one of his modified units to accommodate.

Are there really only 8 of us?

Hi Matt and others, great idea! Thank you for posting it. I ordered and tried the Knipex plastic jaws. They are too soft as the rivet indents into them. I was also able to modify the metal jaws with my Dremel grinder without taking them apart. It takes a little practice but you can set the rivets easily with the Knipex. I find that squeezing until I first feel the brass yield keeps me from goimg to far.

John