Old timer told me to stop using safety wire pliers for lockwire on engine work

I mean, I always thought the pliers were fine, but this guy with 30 years at Pratt said hand twisting gives better feel for tension and less chance of nicking the bolt heads. Tried it for a week and now my lockwire looks way cleaner. Anyone else get told to ditch a tool and stick with the old way?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_nathan21d ago

12 years in and I still use fingers for lockwire on every single build.

lunawilson21d ago

Man I've been at this 15 years and same, fingers just feel right for safety wire...

the_lisa18d ago

The "fingers just feel right" thing really hits home. @lunawilson nailed it, there's something about the tactile feedback you just can't get with pliers. I think it's muscle memory at this point, you know? You've done it so many times your hands just know the tension and twist without you even thinking about it. Plus, it's way easier to feel if the wire is going to bind or cross up before you commit. Did you ever try those fancy locking pliers for a week and just hate it?