What is a Precision Pry Bar?
What is a precision pry bar? |
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Precision pry bars are designed for prying and levering where extra precision, strength and control are required. The shaft is flat for additional strength and toughness, with some models incorporating a contour into the shaft to add additional leverage and a degree of spring to the bar. | |||
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A 90° bent claw with a flat heel is standard for this type of bar, providing a high angle of leverage, and a striking face for penetrating very tight spaces. | |||
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A second, straight claw is also featured; this may be rounded or straight edged. Claws which are extra wide and thin are available on some models, ideal for penetrating between floorboards and behind tiles and moulding. Both claws will have been polished and bevelled, decreasing the potential for damage to objects during prying and levering actions. | |||
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Unlike the construction pry bar or L-bar (see: Demolition bars), the 90° claw of precision pry bars is forged ‘sideways on’ to the bar’s shaft and opposite claw.
This has two benefits: |
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1. The 90° claw does not detract from the angle of leverage available when using the straight claw. A bent claw forged in line with the shaft (as shown opposite) may decrease the angle of leverage available when using the straight claw. | |||
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Whereas a bent claw forged ‘sideways on’ to the shaft allows the full angle of leverage to be achieved. | |||
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2. The bent claw will benefit from the side-on use of the shaft this position requires. The shaft is at its toughest when used side-on. | |||
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The same principle applies to rulers, so you can test this out yourself: hold your ruler with the wider side facing upwards and hold one end to the edge of a desk or other flat surface. While holding this end flat, apply force to the opposite end. The ruler will bend quite easily. | |||
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Now try the same experiment, but hold the ruler so that only the narrow edge is touching the desk, and push down on the narrow edge at the opposite end. This time, the ruler should not bend at all. | |||
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Precision pry bars are available in lengths from 203-305mm (8-12in). All are shorter than the other pry bars available, offering the user greater control during prying and levering tasks, but decreasing leverage slightly. Models are available in weights from 226-453g (8oz-1lb).
This means that the lightest model available weighs the same as one cup of brown sugar… |
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… and the heaviest weighs as much as a tin of baked beans. | |||
What are precision pry bars made of? |
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Precision pry bars are forged from high carbon steel, which is tempered for strength.
Because steel stock comes in either round or hexagonal bars, the process involved in forging the precision pry bar’s flat shaft is more time consuming and less economical – because of this, precision pry bars can be slightly more expensive than other pry bars. |
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What are precision pry bars coated with? |
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Most precision pry bars are powder coated black on the shaft. This is for aesthetics only. | |||
What are precision pry bars used for? |
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| Precision pry bars can be used for prying and levering tasks where precision and control are required, such as: | ||||
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Demolition tasks in which dismantled materials, such as timber or tile, are to be reclaimed | |||
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Lifting floor tiles, floorboards or other flooring materials | |||
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Removing window and door frames | |||
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Removing skirting boards | |||
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Nail pulling | |||
