Question from an Industrial Design Student developing tools

[bastrouw]

Dear Forum readers,

My name is Bas Trouw, 23 and student Industrial Design in Enschede, the Netherlands. I am currently doing a project for a large German Tool Manufacturer. For this project, I have to develop a new set of pliers/handtools.

For inspiration and idea's I would like to ask you to tell me all of your:

- irritations regarding existing tools. These could be caused by limitations of the tools for example
- Problems in and around the house that could use a tool to solve the problem.
- Own idea's for a new type of tool (you must be thinking sometimes: "they should make a tool for this")

I hope you guys can help me. All the help is appreciated!!!

thank you!

Bas Trouw

 

[Dotty]

Bas is where he says he is guys. Feel free to answer candidly.

 

[Robert Tyrrell]

A pair of water pump pliers that work with a ratchet action, and can move around compression fittings that are fitted on the pipe that is clipped to the wall might be good.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

cutting copper pipe that are fixed to wall and there is not movement on pipe work to put a pipe cutters

 

[Gas]

Carbon fibre kevlar reinforced composite Footprints and Cobras.

That stuff they use in F1 cars that is 20 times the strength of steel

 

[lame plumber]

cutting copper pipe that are fixed to wall and there is not movement on pipe work to put a pipe cutters

been invented already its call a hacksaw

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

A pair of water pump pliers that work with a ratchet action, and can move around compression fittings that are fitted on the pipe that is clipped to the wall might be good.

i was thinking this long time ago as it could be handy tool to have

 

[Gas]

i was thinking this long time ago as it could be handy tool to have

What am i missing? How can it be better to have for domestic/commercial plumbers? On industrial you wind threads in for ages, but a ratchet would break in no time.

I can use Footprints as fast as a ratchet spanner, it would just be an unnecessary tool imo

Loved to be proved wrong though

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

never know until you try it

 

[Killy Bing]

A set of parallel smooth jawed plyers with extended "teeth" so you could use them between pipes.

or a set strong enough that can be "locked" into position and flogged with a hammer.