All Wooden Pliers Made With 99¢ Knife

Here is an all-wood pliers than can be carved out of balsa wood using a 99¢ breakaway utility knife. Hang on for a number of easy steps and you can have your own personal pliers.

Supplies

Knife (I bought mine from a hardware store)
Basswood 3-1/2" Long (You won't be sorry if you buy several spare ones!)
Pencil
Ruler

Layout

Here are the measurements I am terribly sorry about the out of focus subject. Mark this side like I did here.

Layout Opposite Side

Then flip it over and mark the opposite side like this.

Layout Edges

Mark each side of the pliers like the pictures show here.

Cut the Hinge Sides

Carefully do two plunge cuts. One on each side of the U-shaped marking.

Add the Angle Slits

Add the 4 angle slits as shown in the pictures.

Cut Out the Bottom of the U

Carefully cut the bottom out of the U as the picture shows. This should connect the to the two hinge cuts all the way down to the center line.

Cut the Long Slits

Now carefully slit the top and bottom of the pliers to create two pieces.

Open It Up

Now slowly pry the pliers open. Don't be afraid to clean out or deepen any of the previous slits.

Don't Despair

Here's what happened on my first attempt. So don't despair grab a new piece of wood and start over. I got it the second try

Add the Taper

If you want to enhance the look simply taper both sides of the jaw to give it a more realistic pliers look.

Conclusion

It's not really that hard. Give it a try and enjoy the feel of a wood pliers in your hand!