Source for retaining ring tool?

What do people use to remove the retaining rings?

I would get a reasonably priced adjustable spanner wrench, if I can find one.

This one from Thor Labs is £73.50 / $98.00. That is too expensive.

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Hum, are you talking about, e.g. retaining rings from pills, like on Convoy S2+?
I use pointed tip twezeres or pliers! :smiley:

Yes.

The ring on my C8 is way too tight for tweezers. I don’t think I’ve got any suitable pliers. I’ll have to look around. My electronics tools are in two separate locations.

Hum, I don’t know how thin it is as I don’t have a C8! I bought this set of tweezers on AliExpress and so far I had no issues with it! Those were the cheapest ones and work fine, but maybe they are not suitable for what you need! Although, this is a suggestion and aybe other members have better ones! Good luck with that situation :+1:

I’ve used electrical staples when my snap ring tool just bent.
Just bend the staple until it matches the holes in the ring.
Add pliers to the staple for leverage.
I usually use needle nose pliers.

I use this tool

The tool you found is indeed way to expensive. And a pair of pliers is often still too big for the tiny holes. So I use (two) awls or piercers, not in a parallel position, but in a cross. The placement of the two awls depends on you wanting to fasten or to loosen the retainer ring. You will feel the difference :wink: . Mind you that the retainer ring in the tailcap of a C8 has a left (counterclockwise) thread. Maybe that’s why you are having trouble removing it.

I just get an offcut of wood, mark and screw 2 dry wall screws through at the same distance apart as the holes or indents in the retaining ring i want to remove.

Doesn’t look pretty, but does the job

I have a set of snap-ring pliers from OSH, but I rarely use it.

I find needle-nosed pliers just work better most of the time.

I used tweezers with my S2+ as well. Now I took a look at my C8 rings…they don’t have holes. They have small bulges instead. No way tweezers will work and I’m not sure about pliers. :person_facepalming:

I use a long needle nose pliers as some of the others have mentioned.
With these, you could reach a pill in a light and not even have to take the head off. :smiley:
Those are a bit longer than the pliers I have, might be to long to be useful.

I use an old set of these .once you cut spring steel or hardened steel they are a tool to be re-purposed .

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.dMZDleoyQrXdO-kI1Jmd1AHaHa&pid=Api

they are cheap and very useful for working with electronics and are pointy ,angled and sharp which helps you get a bite into soft metal.available cheap at Fastech and gearbest and others .

Occasionally, I want to unscrew a pill that has no holes. I use a pin-vise drill to drill holes sufficient for my pliers.

I got this here and it works quite well :laughing:

This is what I use: 5-3/4 in. Needle Nose Pliers. I filed down the ends to fit in the retaining rings. Very strong and works great.

If its tough to get of i use my good stainless steel tweezers they are thicker than my other cheaper sets.

If its to much for those i shaved down a set of circlip pliers. If you apply to much pressure you may strip the threads.

Are you sure its not reverse threads my last C8 driver retaining ring is reverse threads?

Just buy a snap ring plier. There are cheap & expensive ones.

Many good suggestions. :+1:

Tweezers are not going to work and I don’t have a grinder anymore.

Knipex 44 11 J1 Circlip pliers are £12.78 on Amazon.

I would try to buy a set that can work both ways just in case you need them. The reversible plier set usually cost a little more, but worth it.

These probably wont fit so you will have to grind them down. Maybe buy a cheaper set to test? Unless you dont mind spending extra.

I know the pain just bought a set of NWS pliers expensive lol.

I know its a pain but you can always sand them or file them down by hand. Or use a rotary tool if you have one? Or ask some one on the forum if they can do it for you?