Tweezers

There will be some occasions when you will be working with small objects. It may be difficult to handle these objects. There may also be times when you want to pull out some small object which is inside a certain device, and you cannot get at it with your fingers. In these situations you can use tweezers.

Tweezers from a Branch

Find a small branch of a tree which is "Y" shaped. Cut off the bigger branch so that it is of a size which will fit nicely in the palm of your hand. Make sure it is flexible. That is, squeeze the two arms until they touch each other. When you let go, they will spring back to their original position.

Fig. 54

With a sharp knife, cut the ends so that they are thin and tapered. Any small object, such as a nail or pin, can be picked up.

Fig. 55

Metal Strapping Tweezers

Use a piece of metal strapping from an old packing crate to make these tweezers. Try to get a strip thick enough to be a bit rigid but still somewhat flexible. Its length can be between 20 and 24 cm. Round off the two ends by rubbing the metal on a hard stone. Bend this piece in half.

Fig. 56

The two arms should spring back to their original position when your fingers are not pushing them together.

Fig. 57

Bamboo Strip Tweezers

Find a piece of bamboo that is about 28 to 30 cm in length. With a heavy knife, cut a 1 cm wide piece from the large bamboo. If the strip is very thick, cut some of the inside away with a knife until it is about ½ cm in thickness. With the shiny side down, make two small cuts on the rough side.

Fig. 58

Carefully bend the strip at the two cuts so that the shiny side is inside. With a knife, shave the two ends so that they are thin and come to a point.

Fig. 59