Made An Adjustable Gripper

[HAMMERHEAD]

After seeing the Lemleys gripper again recently, I decided "what the hell, it's only 15 bucks with shipping."

Well it arrived today and it was like everybody said; crome spring wound the other way, loose handles, about the strength of a 2.5.

I yanked the handles off and did some experimenting with closing it by varying the depth of the spring. I was going to Home Depot to get locktight in order to secure the handles and figured I'd made it adjustable while I'm at it. I looked up Tom Black's article to refresh my memory (Thanks Tom), and went to work.

It didn't go perfectly but it is an adjustable gripper now. My biggest bitch is that when I used the Locktight epoxy one handle didn't set as high on the spring as the other. So one handle is about 1/4 lower than the other. I doesn't really matter in the long run.

If you haven't done this yet, do it. I should have a while ago. This is a good addition to your collection of grip tools.

Thanks Tom, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has benifited from your grip experience.

-Erik

[OldGuy]

That reminds me to modify my Lemley. That is why I bought it in the first place as I could not get myself to cut an Ironmind.

[HAMMERHEAD]

Oldguy-

the good thing about the Lemley is that they are perfect for modification.

They are cheap, so if you mess up you're not out 20 bucks.

The handles come off, so you could buy two and chop up the handles of one to varioul lengths to use on the other.

Hell, you could make a removable BTR piece.

-HH

[Tom Black]

I'm currently writing an article on training ideas using an adjustable modified gripper. I'll give you a big tip from the article and that is that you will need very thin washers. If you can close the gripper now you won't need the thin washers, the idea is to extend the gripper till you can just close it. Then you train with this gripper (days, weeks) and then remove a washer. Problem I found is that if the gripper is truly on the edge of my ability then removing even 1/16" was too much and I couldn't close it again (that's why I sometimes had it set the same for weeks). By using washers made out of soda can metal, which can be cut with scissors, I solved the problem. I punched the center hole of the washer with a hole punch. I think 6 of those washers are 1/32" so if you are working a KTA like program one can be removed every few days, thus keeping the progression smooth.

[OldGuy]

I guess that changing the handle length is equal to setting the spring deeper or less deep into the handles. We know that there is a big variation in how deep the springs are set in grippers. A washer of 1/32'' made a big difference. A difference of 1/32'' in how deep the spring is set must also make a big difference.

[Tom Black]

Subtracting 1/32” on a “#3 class” gripper is probably like adding 2.5-pounds to your bench when you are already at your PR, 1/16” is like 5-pounds. Seems easy enough in theory to add 5-pounds per week, but anyone who has been lifting awhile can tell you that sometimes you can get stuck and the extra 5 pounds will not happen! I originally extended the #3 very far (~3/4”) and of course made great “gains” weekly, but once you are at your true one rep max length then you need a thinner washer. I did extend a fairly hard #3 so when I get down to the end of the handle I'll be able to close every #3 I have except for my 1997 vintage.

[OldGuy]

Tom, you have great patience and perseverance.

[Bearcat 74]

Good job Tom, I'm glad the gripper I showed you at AOBS last year helped. I didn't take it to the 1/32" extensions, I'm still on the 1/16" washers.

[Bill Piche]

Good job Tom, I'm glad the gripper I showed you at AOBS last year helped. I didn't take it to the 1/32" extensions, I'm still on the 1/16" washers.