Popular Mechanics has an article up on that marvelous wonder tool: vise grips. The magazine asked readers to submit stories about how people have used them in creative ways, such as clamping a gushing artery, dipping cannolis in hot oil, and holding a bridal bouquet together. Here's my favorite:Back in my college days, my best friend and I traveled from Moorhead to Hibbing for an impromptu bear hunt. The year was 1973, and my trusty 1963 Mercury Meteor's shift lever broke off at 3:00 a.m. I promptly clamped my Vise-Grip on a shard of metal sticking out of the column. The "shifter" sufficed for 690 miles on logging roads. By the way, we did get a bear!"
Well, when I was about 20, I decided to throw a surprise birthday party for my Mom. So I bought a pinata, but was unable to find a way to hang it up anywhere in our apartment that would permit her to smack at it with a stick. So my Dad cleverly hung the pinata from his vice grips, which he attached to the top of a door frame. My Mom was delighted.
Okay, so it's not the most impressive vise grips story. But I did learn how critical and handy it is to have them around.
Click here for a history of vise grip pliers.
4 comments:
While a student in seminary my 1966 Mustang was stolen. Thirty-one days later the New Orleans Police called to tell me it had been found parked outside of a bar on St. Roch Street. A friend took me to recover my car. When we arrived the steering wheel, battery, etc. were missing. The battery was an easy fix, but steering wheels for 66 Mustangs are not found in the auto section of TG&Y. Not to worry... I just locked my trusty Vise-Grip pliers onto the steering column shaft and drove my little car home!
Ha! That's great, Earl!
For the life of me, I would never think, "A vice grip would work here!"
If my stick shift broke, I'd be stranded until the state patrol found me starving...
(J) broke the lever which controls the recliner she usually sits in. Now, a pair of vise-grips serves in it's stead. We attached them to the metal nut where the lever was and it works great. Why buy a new chair when vise-grips will do?
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