Loki Snap Ring Woes

[JAL3]

I got myself a set of Loki 38mm hardware a few days ago and am delighted with it. I am having a frustrating problem, though, with the snap rings. When I picked the stuff up, David Bachelder of Quickburst was very patient and went through the assembly procedure and I had no problems. The problems started when I bought a set of snap ring pliers.

The first ones I bought had their tips narrowed a bit but the tips are so small that they keep slipping out of the snap ring at the most inopportune time, usually resulting the the ring being released at an odd angle difficult to get anything into the ears.

Those pliers were not returnable.

I went to another place and got a better set. This one had interchangeable tips. One set of tips was similar to those of the first set in that the end of the tips were narrowed a bit. These too tended to slip. Another set of tips was more conical and more closely resembled those that David Bachelder had but they too slip our of the ears at the worst time.

I looked at the pliers recomended by David from McMaster Carr and they too had conical tips.

Do you think that I can file a groove in the tips so that they will not slip?

 

[billspad]

This probably isn't what you want to hear but throw out all the other pliers and buy Knipex. I stubbornly tried at least three other makes because they were a cheaper. I tried grinding the tips so they fit better with no luck. I have no idea why the Knipex pliers work better but they do.

 

[brianc]

I'll second the Knipex recommendation...

McMaster P/N 5449A92 for 38mm / 54mm motors.

 

[Mike Di Venti]

I got a set of SK' s and they work very well.

 

[H_Rocket]

This probably isn't what you want to hear but throw out all the other pliers and buy Knipex.

As much as I like to disagree with Bill (hey it beats working). I have to second this. A pair of Kinepex pliers is the best $25 you will spend.

 

[JDcluster]

That's all I'll use now, other than maybe Snap On.
You really need to get the correct tips in order for them to work properly.
The same snap ring pliers will also work with: AMW & Gorilla Works hardware.


JD

 

[AndyC]

I also thought I'd save a few bucks and got the pliers with the interchangeable tips. After fighting with the rings a couple of times, I also bought the Kinpex pliers recommended on the Loki site. Made a huge difference! I've since gone back and gotten different sizes for different motors. Not cheap, but just works great.

 

[cbrarick]

kinpex rules! wouldn't use anything else on my Loki hardware...they never slip off!

 

[billspad]

As much as I like to disagree with Bill

You're not alone!

 

[cjl]

I'll join the chorus - Knipex are the only way to go. They make your life a million times easier if you want to fly snap ring motors.

 

[JAL3]

Thanks to all.

Thaey are ordered.

 

[troj]

A solid explanation of snap ring pliers for use in hobby rocketry: https://www.skyrippersystems.com/tips/HybridTips.html

-Kevin

 

[JAL3]

A solid explanation of snap ring pliers for use in hobby rocketry: https://www.skyrippersystems.com/tips/HybridTips.html

-Kevin

Thanks for the info and link to the article.

FWIW, of the 2 pair shown, the "good" pair is the one on the left I just ordered.
The "bad" on the right is the one I started out with.:dark:

 

[troj]

Thanks for the info and link to the article.

FWIW, of the 2 pair shown, the "good" pair is the one on the left I just ordered.
The "bad" on the right is the one I started out with.:dark:

Welcome to the club. You're probably only about 20,000th rocketeer to get suckered into those interchangeable tip pliers.

First time I tried using mine, the tip broke off and the snap ring left a dent in the wall. I promptly bought some real pliers.

You'll love the Knipex pliers -- very affordable, and they just work. I have 4 pairs of snap ring pliers, for varying sizes of rings. The most expensive pair are the pair I like the least.

-Kevin

 

[dixontj93060]

You may not think it so, but I believe these particular snap ring pliers from Northern Tool are just as good, actually better than the Knipex tools that I've used. The combination of the tip angle, plus the serrated ends, plus the lack of a shoulder allows you to really get a grip on the ring. I haven't had one slip/accident in over five years since finding these pliers. Of course, you can get a full set of this type including internal/external, angled, etc.

 

[Pantherjon]

Funny, I had gotten a Gorilla case a couple months ago and needed a pair of snap ring pliers..So, I goes on down to the local Lowes..I was asked if I needed help finding anything, I said 'Yeah, a pair of snap ring pliers'.His expression was priceless, it was as if I was talking Chinese to him!:roll: Anyways, I found these in their tool section..I like them as they are 'reversible' and can do both internal and external snap rings..And I got them for $19.95($6 less then direct from Channellock )..Guess if I had asked about Retaining Ring Pliers I might have been speaking in Spanish and maybe the Lowes guy could have helped me!:roll:

 

[ben_ullman]

Funny, I had gotten a Gorilla case a couple months ago and needed a pair of snap ring pliers..So, I goes on down to the local Lowes..I was asked if I needed help finding anything, I said 'Yeah, a pair of snap ring pliers'.His expression was priceless, it was as if I was talking Chinese to him!:roll: Anyways, I found these in their tool section..I like them as they are 'reversible' and can do both internal and external snap rings..And I got them for $19.95($6 less then direct from Channellock )..Guess if I had asked about Retaining Ring Pliers I might have been speaking in Spanish and maybe the Lowes guy could have helped me!:roll:

The ones you have are crap. I got the same ones. Tip broke and sent a ring flying in the middle of the field. And it was only a 54mm.

Ben

 

[rocketsaway]

Save your money for new hardware, instead As previous said, go buy yourself a cheap pair of of "small" needle nose. Total L of is 5".
I use them for 24mm-38mm.
Anneal the 1" tips ( they are hardened). bend the tips slightly in about .100" from end. File or dremal so the tips fit, right where you want the snag ring eyes to grasp.

 

[dlb]

well I'll make one up for Knipex, ended my woes!
now it's just lock and load:wave:

 

[JAL3]

I never did update this.

I got my Knipex pliers and used them at my last launch without any issue.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[quickburst]

I never did update this.

I got my Knipex pliers and used them at my last launch without any issue.

Thanks for the advice.

The knipex pliers are the ones LOKI recommends. With the the straight tips.


I thought I told you that? Maybe I goofed.

 

[JAL3]

The knipex pliers are the ones LOKI recommends. With the the straight tips.


I thought I told you that? Maybe I goofed.

You did tell me about them on more than one occasion. The problem came with the child who wanted to play with his new toys and didn't want to wait for mail order so rushed out and bough some at an auto parts place. WHen those didn't work I went to another place.

I was stuck on stupid.

 

[quickburst]

You did tell me about them on more than one occasion. The problem came with the child who wanted to play with his new toys and didn't want to wait for mail order so rushed out and bough some at an auto parts place. WHen those didn't work I went to another place.

I was stuck on stupid.

Boy do I understand that ...... I'm the same way, new toy ..... have to play.

By the way, I have a useless set of Sears snap ring pliers in my tool box.

 

[JAL3]

Boy do I understand that ...... I'm the same way, new toy ..... have to play.

By the way, I have a useless set of Sears snap ring pliers in my tool box.

My two "useless" sets were not quite useless at our last launch. They did come in handy as paperweights to keep the launch cards from drifting away.