Tube Pullers

[Mike Sanders K0AZ]

I have an old thimble like rubber cup for this purpose. On the other end of
the cup is
a 7 and 9 pin tube straightener. Don't know where I got it but have had it a
long long
time. Professionally made to pull tubes and straighten pins. They may turn
up from
time to time but I suspect they are rare. Nice to have though.

K0AZ  Mike Sanders
18169 Highway 174
MT Vernon, Missouri 65712-9171
k0az at k0az.com <mailto:k0az at k0az.com>



-----Original Message-----
From: Boat Anchor Owners and Collectors List
[mailto:BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV]On Behalf Of Todd, KA1KAQ
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 8:16 AM
To: BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Subject: Re: Tube Pullers


On 1/8/07, W5EUQ <w5euq at verizon.net> wrote:

> SO.... even if you say, "you will break tubes with the tongs" (scissor
> type).... I used them all those years above and NEVER broke a tube.  So
> I want the scissor type AND the rubber tube type as well.

Guess I missed this the first time around...

I've used the tongs, cable puller mesh-types found on the backs of the
R-390, inside the R-174 (p/o AN/GRR-5) and other radios, also the
commercial soft foam-type rubber ones (sweep tube sized on one end,
7-9 pin on the other). All work, some better than others depending on
the situation.

You can get the rubber-coated tongs from Baran's surplus for about
$5-$6 ea. Last I knew he had them listed on ebay with a buy it now
price. I picked up two from him, identical to the IBM pair I already
had. The angle of the ends is the issue here, so having a couple pairs
allows you to bend and customize one. The coating is a bit too hard
for my taste, almost like plastic. I like the rubber dip coating
better, more grip.

The wire type are available through a number of sources, you just need
to dig around online. They do show up on ebay from time to time, but
usually go for a lot of money ($50/set isn't unheard of). They work
prety well once you get them to grab, allowing you to pull from
directly above.

The foam TV shop type cups are harder to find, but the least useful in
my experiences. They require a lot of room to get in and get your hand
around the puller, meaning you can usually get the tube out without
it. The time they come in handy is for stuck tubes that might break
when you try to remove them. They give some small amount of protection
against sharp edges if you don't gorilla grip the thing.

Of course, once you figure out the tube puller angle, then you move on
to pin straighteners...

~ Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control -
http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://listserv.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/620 - Release Date: 1/8/07 4:12
PM

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/620 - Release Date: 1/8/07 4:12
PM

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://listserv.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html