A Better Way To Choke A Gripper

[Fist of Fury]

Nifty idea, I personally never had any issues with hose clamps so I will continue with that though.

[acorn]

Cool idea though not sure I'd want to do it on some of the rarer TSGs. The only advantage i see to the hose clamp is that it doesn't modify it in any way and is easier for pretty much anyone to do themselves.

This isn't true. It DOES modify the gripper. It makes the gripper rate significantly lower. I had a choked 3.5 that stayed choked for a couple years. It rated in the mid 160s. I believe chez has it now.

I have never seen a rating change on a Chokered gripper. Not saying it can't happen, just saying I've never seen it. I have a tough filed #4 that spent a few years in a hose clamp choker. Was rated before filing and chokering. Have rated it again recently to see if there was a change since I saw comments to this effect on FB recently. The rating I got was higher than the original rating before filing and enough higher that it would be consistent with the amount it was filed.

The only thing I can imagine happening to cause it to change would be closing it with a significant amount of spring bind where the legs come out of the wind, possibly causing slight bending of one or both of the legs and concurrent narrowing of the spread permanently. 10# change in closing tension on a #3.5 might not take much change in spread on a 3"ish spread. If the coils are opening up on top when in the choker it could be binding especially if not well lubricated when closing like that.

- Aaron

Edited December 17, 2015 by acorn

[HandsMcHanderson]

I see that you still don't understand. Choking a gripper for any length of time will modify the spring REGARDLESS OF METHOD USED I am in no way debating or attempting to address this. I'm addressing the 2 methods themselves and the advantage I see of one Vs. the other. one method modifies the gripper the other does not. It is not the method that makes the spring lose strength, it is the fact that you leave it choked. If I choke with a hose clamp and then unchoke 30 seconds later the gripper will be unmodified, if I choke with Andrew's method the gripper is forever modified that should clearly show the difference between a method causing modifications Vs. leaving it choked causing modifications.

Thanks for clearing that right up for me, I needed that because I'm an idiot.

The fact is I've understood exactly what you were saying from the beginning. you spoke generally about modifying a gripper. Not specifically the aesthetics of the gripper, which you automatically assumed we all knew you were speaking about. But I'm glad you are going this far out of your way to be condescending, prove your point and let us know you disagree with this method.

I don't disagree with the method at all. Could you please point out where I made such a statement?

The context in which the post was made matters, I'm saying this again because you seem to ignore it. Jared makes a post comparing both methods, showcasing what I find is a superior one especially. I then make a post saying that it's cool and that the only advantage I can see to a hose clamp is that it doesn't modify the gripper. Remember there is a difference between a method modifying something and another variable like time. I clearly wasn't speaking about choking in general but rather about the 2 methods in comparison to each other. You introduced time, an external variable, not my post which then made it a strawman.

I also don't think you are an idiot, I just thought you misunderstood, because otherwise why still state that I was speaking generally when I was not? Why make the post at all if here is no miscommunication? The posts weren't an attempt to be condescending, only an attempt to explain my point in a way that would be clear and I apologize if that offended you as again that wasn't the intent.

Jared, to me it is clear that you can let it out to return it to normal spread, the mod I was talking about was the drill and tap that people may not want to do to rare grippers as no method forces a gripper to be left in choke therefore no method causes spring weakening due to the method but rather (possibly as Aaron hasn't seen it but EJ has) the choice to leave it that way regardless of method. EJ took my comment to be about choking in general when I was speaking about 1 method as compared to the other.

[Billy Jack]

AC, do you drill and tap these with a press, or are you steady enough to do it with a hand-held drill? Just curious as this is an awesome idea and would like to see about doing this myself.

[acorn]

AC, do you drill and tap these with a press, or are you steady enough to do it with a hand-held drill? Just curious as this is an awesome idea and would like to see about doing this myself.

I would never try to do this with a hand drill. I also would not try to do it on a drill press without a pretty beefy jig and a good drill press. My own drill press is bench top one and too small with way too much slop in the spindle bearing to even attempt it that way. No I remove the handles and do them on a lathe or make new ones on the lathe. Only way to get a good straight and centered hole. Also why the Tettings are the best candidates for it. Their handles are easily removed.

- Aaron

[Billy Jack]

AC, do you drill and tap these with a press, or are you steady enough to do it with a hand-held drill? Just curious as this is an awesome idea and would like to see about doing this myself.

I would never try to do this with a hand drill. I also would not try to do it on a drill press without a pretty beefy jig and a good drill press. My own drill press is bench top one and too small with way too much slop in the spindle bearing to even attempt it that way. No I remove the handles and do them on a lathe or make new ones on the lathe. Only way to get a good straight and centered hole. Also why the Tettings are the best candidates for it. Their handles are easily removed.

- Aaron

Thanks for the response. I asked because I previously borrowed an older COC#3 from Jedd and it had tapped handles that, of course, were the original ones. Someone had done a pretty good job on these so I was curious how hard it would be on a press.

[acorn]

AC, do you drill and tap these with a press, or are you steady enough to do it with a hand-held drill? Just curious as this is an awesome idea and would like to see about doing this myself.

I would never try to do this with a hand drill. I also would not try to do it on a drill press without a pretty beefy jig and a good drill press. My own drill press is bench top one and too small with way too much slop in the spindle bearing to even attempt it that way. No I remove the handles and do them on a lathe or make new ones on the lathe. Only way to get a good straight and centered hole. Also why the Tettings are the best candidates for it. Their handles are easily removed.

- Aaron

Thanks for the response. I asked because I previously borrowed an older COC#3 from Jedd and it had tapped handles that, of course, were the original ones. Someone had done a pretty good job on these so I was curious how hard it would be on a press.

It's of course doable but I would not be happy with the result on my drill press. I have a #4 I got from someone that has a broken tap in one of the handles ends from such an attempt. Doesn't look like the hole was drilled straight either.

There was a time when guys were doing that, tapping the handles to add washers to the end of the handles. Essentially to make the handles longer incrementally for a progression method. Probably why yours was tapped.

I would never recommend to attempt such a mod to anyone who wasn't already sure they had the skills to do the job.

- Aaron

Edited December 17, 2015 by acorn

[Justin Matney]

Ingenious

[Autolupus]

Simplistic but effective take on gripper choking! Although it does require a bit of technical know how.
I've had a few nasty blood blisters from hose pipe choking but will probably stick with this method as once you've been pinched a few times, you sorta work out how not to!

[Chez]

I called Aaron the mad scientist of grip when I met because of stuff like this. He is crazy smart and thinks of great ideas.

[bencrush]

Another awesome Aaron grip idea!!! That beats the hell out of a hoseclamp.

Another awesome Aaron grip idea!!! That beats the hell out of a hoseclamp.

[acorn]

Thanks guys, and Jared thank you again for the wonderful review. Glad you liked it and I hope it helps get you to the #2.5

- Aaron

[ae_yogi]

Unless you heat up your gripper, leaving it choked all the time will not affect the spring. We had an engineer on the boards a long time ago who laid the issue to rest.

[Jared Goguen]

Unless you heat up your gripper, leaving it choked all the time will not affect the spring. We had an engineer on the boards a long time ago who laid the issue to rest.

Was it put to the test or was he speaking in theory?

[Cannon]

Unless you heat up your gripper, leaving it choked all the time will not affect the spring. We had an engineer on the boards a long time ago who laid the issue to rest.

Was it put to the test or was he speaking in theory?

It was noob_saibot. I can usually find the post.

[Cannon]

Found it.

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=21026&p=262539

[ae_yogi]

Found it.

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=21026&p=262539

That is a 9 year old thread! Respect to your google-fu.

[Cannon]

Found it.

http://www.gripboard.com/index.php?showtopic=21026&p=262539

That is a 9 year old thread! Respect to your google-fu.

Haha, I always remember he used the word "creep" and find the post that way.

[bruce1337]

Is it possible to get the video back up? Or could someone explain the specifics of this style of choked gripper.

Like how deep do you drill into the handles, what size drill bit, size of the nuts used, etc.

Thanks