It is becoming increasingly popular to carry compact tools on mountain bike rides. One of these tools is a chain plier, which allows the user to take apart the quick links on a chain to replace the chain if the chain is to break.
^Park Tool Master Link Plier^
Inspiration
I came up with this idea of making an easily disassembled chain plier that I can use on my rides. The easily disassembled aspect makes it easy to carry. I got the idea from clothespins, and I wanted to use some kind of "contact pivot" like clothespins for this plier. The idea is instead of using a pivot mechanism that is permanently fixed together, only half of the pivot is needed in the directions of the applied force (when the plier is being squeezed), thus allowing the pliers to be taken apart very easily, or rather, allowing the pliers to be assembled very easily.
Design
I came up with some sketches on how exactly this pivot would be achieved, bearing in mind with my mean of making this (currently I only have access to FDM 3d printer).
The two halves of the pliers would be identical for simplicity and they would fit together at the pivot. I still have improvements in mind for this design, but I needed to make a prototype to see if making it with FDM is even feasible.
With dimensions verified in SolidWorks, I fired up the 3D printer with 100% infill at the tip because that is where I suspected would have the highest stress.
Testing
I have maxed out every way I could think of to make the plier stronger: large cross-sectional area, high infill percentage, adding chamfers, available material with the highest tensile strength (PLA), yet the pliers are still unable to successfully undo the master link. the failure point is already at the largest cross-sectional area I can make before it becomes too big to fit between the links. Unless I have a better way of making this design (PC plastic, even machining aluminum), I don't believe I have any ability to actually make it work. Right now I will keep this design in the back burner until I come across a better way to make it.
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