Gator Face Cap Pliers

 Gator Face Cap Pliers

The “Gator Tool”
The original Face Capping Pliers

Rarely in the Locksmithing industry does a new innovative tool get discovered. In the summer of 1998 in the back of locksmith van came one new and revolutionary tool. The tool came from many years of frustration and damaged automotive facecaps.

The problem to the industry was removing automotive facecaps so repairs could be made to the inside of these locks, then reinstalling the same facecap back onto the repaired lock. This tool, the “Gator-Tool”, will remove a facecap from the lock housing with very minimal damage and the same facecap can be reused after the repairs have been made to the lock.

This sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. The tool came from many years of doing facecap removal the old hard way with a screw driver, pliers, punch and a hammer. When most locksmiths start out they have limited funds to stock a large quantity of replacement facecaps. The result of this was trying to remove the facecap with a screw driver in good enough condition so the same facecap could be reinstall back on to the lock housing. Not only was money a consideration but also waiting time from a supplier. Plus when ordering, the minimum quantity was ten pieces. Most cars don’t use ten facecaps on them. What do you with the extra eight facecaps? Some of these facecaps sit in the locksmiths inventory for many years. The first operation of the tool is to easily remove the original facecap in good condition so it can be replaced back on the lock. This is accomplished with a specially designed hardened tip and saddle. Once the repairs have been made, the second operation is reinstalling the same facecap back onto the lock housing.

This tool is fully adjustable to accommodate most any size of facecap from the very thin and small to the larger, older models. The tool requires a minimum amount of adjusting to give a professional look after reinstallation of the facecap. The  “Gator Tools, Face Cap Pliers – FCP42c” is a hearty tool with a durable finish to resist weather. The installed torsion spring helps open the tool, making the tool a breeze to use. The tip is made of specialty hardened material for long wear, but if broken it can be replaced without any hassles. Instructions are easy to follow with graphics to help anyone.