By Tom Black   

Heavy-duty Torsion spring grippers are one of the most popular grip implements available.  Their popularity seems to extend from how it feels to close the gripper, especially one just at your limit for the first time.  One of the biggest obstacles for gripper training is the lack of progressive tools.  Trainers have worked around this problem with strapholds and buying different grippers of the same spring in the hope that they will require a different closing force than the ones they already own.  If you buy enough grippers, and choose from the two manufacturers, this is not a bad option.  As is now understood by most people who train with these grippers, the mounting of the handles into the spring post, as well as the width between the handles contributes to much of the differences between grippers.  Add to this the differences between the steel used and the variation among grippers is understandable.

The Adjustable Modified Gripper with handle attachments.

           First, to understand why an adjustable handle gripper changes the force required to close the gripper one must understand the underlying physics of the gripper.  In simple terms, when a handle is shortened the moment arm from the center of the spring to the end of the handle decreases and the force required to close the gripper increases.  While the handles also become closer together, this fact does not have as much effect as the shortening of the moment arm.  Alternatively, when a gripper is extended the handle becomes wider, and yet the increased width does not effect the overall characteristic as much as the longer moment arm, making the gripper easier.  My own experiments with the prototype Beef Builder Advanced (similar to the Ironmind #1) found the gripper extended by 1-inch to feel similar in strength to the next gripper down (a Beef Builder Beginner or a Trainer gripper). 

            As many people know, about a year ago I created two different modified #2 grippers simply by filing the ends down.  I started with the hardest #2 gripper that I owned and over the course of many weeks created a gripper 3/8” shorter by filing about 1/32” per week.  The final gripper became very similar in strength to my older Beef Builder Master gripper which most have described as a “2.5” gripper.  I even created a second modified #2 gripper in which I cut instead of filed, starting by cutting about ¼” off the end, and then filing from there.  In April of 2001 I came up with the idea for an adjustable modified gripper, but I didn’t have much use for it at the time.  Now that I am basically closing the #3 gripper (not certified) I revisited my idea for an adjustable gripper since I will now need to modify a #3 gripper.  I also have been working on a beyond the range #2 gripper and wanted to incorporate my old ideas of an adjustable gripper into an interchangeable beyond the range handle.

The gripper with 3 washers and the 1/4" section attached.

Another event also rekindled my interest in making an adjustable gripper.  At this years Association of Old time Barbell and Strongman Dinner Heath Sexton showed everyone an extended #4 gripper he had created.   While the idea wasn’t quite the same as mine it did illustrate a proof of concept in that a threaded handle would be strong enough with a similar modification.  Heath drilled and tapped his #4 gripper and extended the handle about 1” with a bolt and washers.  This gripper may be about equivalent to a #3 in strength and Heath can simply remove a washer to progress all the way down to no washers.

              My idea is a step beyond that, creating a gripper that can be both lengthen and shortened, and one in which the handle can be mostly knurled Aluminum rather than washers.  The gripper will be easily adjustable (within 1 minute) and will have basically the same feel as an unmodified gripper.

             Before I start describing the adjustable gripper, let me stress that there are many

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 variations of this design in terms of how much you can cut off a gripper.  Your current strength level also makes a considerable amount of difference and in the end you will have to decide what you need.  The plans I will give would create a gripper from “#1.5” to at around a “#2.5,” although the numbers will vary widely depending on the starting gripper. 

             Basically, you will be cutting off a certain amount off a gripper and then re-attaching the sections along with some washers (no more than 3 usually) to create many combinations of handle lengths.  The exact lengths for cutting is for example only, for your actual cuts you need to take your current levels into account, the proposed example is a “happy medium” to go all the way from below the #2 to nearly the #3 gripper.

List of supplies:

-Gripper (#2 in the example)

-1/4” tap set with 3/16” drill (these can be purchased together at Lowes, and Home Depot for around $3.50).  Make sure the threads correspond to the threads on the bolts you buy (20 NC is usually standard).

-1/4” Furniture Bolts (40mm length is best) or semi-round head bolts.  The furniture bolts unfortunately are not threaded all the way to the head and can only be used when the extension is ½” or more from the base handle.  They have a flat head with an 1/8” hex Allen wrench female socket, and are ideal for the end of the gripper.  The length needed depends on the cut and desired length of the gripper, you may want to buy both the 40 and 50mm size for around $3.00 for a pack of 4.  The semi-round bolts must be the kind with a thread all the way to the head so that short extensions can be added to the base gripper handle.  I bought a box of 25 that were each about 1.5".  You will have to cut about 3 of them to accommodate the various length handles.

-1/4” x ¾” Washers.  A pack of 32 is about a dollar.

-Electric Drill

-Adjustable wrench, or a tap wrench

-Vise

-Hack saw

-Metal File

          If you already have the drill and the vise the total cost would be around 7.50 if you decide before hand what the length of the gripper will be and only need one pack of furniture bolts.  I bought 3 packs (40-60mm) so I could experiment more.  Don't ask why the furniture bolts are sold with mixed measurement units (1/4" wide, but 40mm long), I thought that was very weird.

Directions:

Phase I

             Start with a #2 gripper and mark the center of the handle.  I drew a “+” completely across the end of the handle to better eyeball the center.  There may be ways to find the exact center, but on the prototype I had a hard time starting the drill because the “A” on the Beef builder “Advanced” kept getting in the way.   The Ironmind grippers seem to be easier to find the center on.  With the gripper in a vise make a dent in the center with a nail (or an "all" if you have one).  The Aluminum will dent easily so that the drill will stay in the center when initiating the drilling.  For more precise work start with a smaller drill (e.g., 1/8”) and do a starter hole about 1/8” deep.  Then take the 3/16” drill and drill very carefully down the center of the handle.  I have a dowelling jig for drilling a straight hole, but found it very difficult to get it set right so I ended up doing this by hand.  The results were sufficient, but keep stopping and checking the alignment.  On the prototype I drilled as deep as I could, but after doing so I don’t recommend this.  When I cut the first ½” off the gripper I found I did not drill as straight as I should and was 1/16” off on one handle.  This did not affect the functionality of the gripper, but I think it is better to cut off the sections first and then drill each one separately.  On the beef builder gripper I modified it seemed significantly harder at about 1 3/8” so I stopped there.  Upon inspection after I cut a full 3/4" off it appeared that I contacted the bottom of the spring post.     

          Once the hole is drilled you can tap the hole to create the threads.  If you are going to create a gripper in accordance with phase II below you may not be creating the threads at this time (see below).  I found with the prototype that putting threads on the parts that were cut off the gripper was not really necessary, thus the sections can be drilled to ¼” and the threads only need to be added to the handle still attached to the spring.  While you can buy a tap wrench for $3.50 I used an adjustable crescent wrench that I already owned to cut down on the cost.  It is difficult to get the tap in more than ¾”. Drill and tap both handles.  You can now test the gripper by putting one half of the washers on one handle and the other half on the second handle The photograph below shows the extended mode, but with the 1/2" and 1/4" pieces from phase II below.  

         The 40mm furniture bolt will work perfectly for this and you will have about 16 washers on each handle for a 1” extended handle.  The gripper is much wider between the handles with this extension, but other than the awkward starting grip, once the gripper was set in the hand the prototype Beef builder Advanced felt very similar to a “Trainer” gripper, and looked similar to Heath’s extended gripper (he used a bolt without a Allen wrench head). 

Phase II

             You may be stopping at phase I above.  If you are trying to close a #3 and modify a #3 in the above manner, simply progressively remove washers as you get stronger.  I also suggest that you carefully file one of the washers (and mark it with a different color) to be about 1/32” thick.  Thus, you can remove this washer to have a finer level of progression.  After you’ve mastered the shorter length remove one regular washer (about 1/16”) and replace it with the 1/32”, this will reduce the distance 1/32” each time.   I suggest modifying a #2 at this level and using the sections on the end of the #3 so that you have full knurling and not washers on the handle.

To make a gripper with more uses you will continue with phase II.  I think the combination that I give below is one of the best combinations of cuts, but others are possible.  The spring on the Beef builder seems to be about 1 1/4" from the end of the handle. I don't recommend cutting the Beef builders more than 3/4" because you will need at least 3/8" of threads and it does not appear to be possible to drill into the spring post.  I have not modified an Ironmind gripper in this way yet, I'll update this article when I do.  I also don't know if this is enough thread to modify a #3 class gripper.  It may only be possible to cut 1/2" off on a #3 and then bolt shorter sections on.  The torque on the spring side is much greater than the end of the handle so a small bolt should hold the handle in place.

Adjustable Gripper in Extended Mode

           With a hacksaw carefully cut the desired length off the gripper.   I placed a piece of electrical tape around the handle just to the side of the cut and used the tape as a guide.  To create a very accurate length of the section to be cut I placed the saw on the handle and double-checked the measurement to the outside edge of the blade before proceeding.  I measured from the end of the gripper, but it occurred to me later that I could have also measured to the bottom of the bevel, that is, the point in which the handles touch when closed.  Also, after a few cuts I realized that the section should be cut without pulling the saw off to check the alignment, this will create a slight mismatch between the cuts that will have to be sanded and filed later.  One cut all the way through will create a smoother cut.

           The picture at the beginning of the article shows two cuts of ½” and ¼” which will give you two different lengths that can be bolted back onto the gripper.  Thus, a gripper cut this way when bolted back together with different sections will give a gripper with a 3” handle (¾” cut off) a gripper with a 3.25” handle (the ¼” section bolted back on) and a 3.5” handle (the ½” section bolted back on).  The full length of the handle is 3.75”.  The washers can then also be used to create every combination in-between.  You will only need three 1/16” washers per handle and one 1/32” washer to create the finer progression changes.  With this “set” of handle sections every combination is possible, including extending the handle by ¼” (plus the 1/32”).  The handle can even be extended farther by including more washers, but you might want to stop at phase I above if you want to extend the gripper more than you want to shorten it.  If you modify two grippers you can use the sections of one to extend the other.

The saw will take a little bit of the metal off so it may take an extra washer to bring the gripper back to full length.  Also, your cuts will probably not be perfect so some filing and sanding will take off a bit more.  The sections should be flat so that they fit together. 

Once you make the cuts check the sections to make sure the center hole goes completely through.  If you waited to drill the hole, drill them now.   You can thread the sections or drill them to the full ¼” but make sure you do not drill the main handle to ¼” because the threads need to be tapped from a 3/16” hole.  The main handle that is left should now be drilled with the 3/16” drill and the threads tapped.

 There are many combinations of lengths with 3/4" cut off the main handle. There are 12 different lengths using the 1/16” washers, 24 if you use one 1/32”.  For extended grippers you only need to drill and tap the uncut ends of a gripper.  Then the cut sections of another 

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 modified gripper can be used to extend the gripper.  A common example of this would be to cut a #2 and then use the cut sections on a #3.  Another idea that I have not implemented myself is to purchase one of the inexpensive grippers from Lemey’s and cut the handles to make a whole assortment of different lengths.  By cutting the following lengths you would have all 12 combinations needed to vary the gripper by 1/16”:  ¾”, ½”, ¼”, 1/8” and 1/16”.   The beauty of this system is that the gripper would have a completely knurled handle.  I have found that the washers are comfortable on the hand and will work fine.  Still another option that I have not tried yet is to buy ¾” diameter Aluminum (brass probably would work to) from the hardware store.  This would be inexpensive enough to make a whole set of different handle lengths without resorting to spacers or washers, but the sections would not be knurled  I have not found 3/4" Aluminum stock at either Lowe's or Home Depot so another source would be needed.

 Another great option that can be incorporated into the adjustable gripper design is a beyond the range segment.  Simply take one of the ½” segments and file a wedge off.  This can be bolted on to the end of the gripper either shortened or extended.  If you decide to cut up a Lemey’s gripper handle you can also make varying lengths of beyond the range.

 In competitions the variances between grippers have been accounted for by judging strength mostly by endurance.  Thus, strapholds or timed holds have frequently been used, all using the same gripper per class of contestants.  It has been also proposed to create a set of grippers having known characteristics.  The contestants are ranked according to the hardest gripper of the set that they are able to close.  The grippers are ranked before the competition by “feel,” probably by someone who can close them all.  I feel that this is a good idea, but an adjustable gripper may be an alternative option. 

The adjustable gripper 3/4" short with 1/8" added on with washers.

With an adjustable gripper there is no way that the same gripper spring would be easier with a shortened handle, thus the gripper would not have to be ranked before hand, a shorter handle creates a stronger gripper, thus whoever closes the shortest handle wins and others are ranked in accordance with the shortest they close.  Also, there would be no need to buy multiple grippers to find a particular strength gripper; one adjustable modified gripper would suffice per class of contestants (e.g., #2 modified for intermediates, #3 modified for advanced).   It may even be possible to use only one gripper for two classes, thus the intermediates could use the #3 in extended mode and as the competition unfolds the #3 would be modified to the shorted position for the advanced competitors.  This way a larger range of competitors could be ranked with the same equipment.

            The adjustable modified gripper creates the ability for everyone in the same class of competitors to be compared with their maximum closing attempt, as opposed to a timed hold.  The competitors will be using the same gripper adjusted upwards in strength during the competition.  For instance, if the base gripper was a #2, the gripper can be used in an extended mode (beyond the standard 3.75”) for warm-up sets so that competitors can judge the strength of the particular gripper.   This adds fairness to the competition because the average variances between grippers may mislead a competitor into not selecting the proper first attempt.  The extended length gripper would give the competitor a feel for how their competition attempts will proceed without wearing themselves out on the warm-ups.

            Once the competition begins the gripper is shortened by 1/16” amounts until a competitor requests an attempt.  The remaining competitors can decline an attempt at that length or make an attempt.  The competition can be set up for 3 or unlimited attempts until the competitor fails on a particular length. 

Conclusion

            I hope that everyone finds this idea and article interesting.  I assure you it is very simple and inexpensive to create this device and you will find it an effective training tool.  The prototype I created was from a Beef Builder Advanced and I found a new training partner who used it in extended mode to go from barely closing the Trainer to closing the #1 in only 3 weeks.  His gain was not from technique improvements because I corrected him early in his training, as he was ¼” from the trainer when starting.  It is exciting to think that advanced trainers could do the same thing from the #2 to the #3 and beyond.  If you decide to try to create one of these grippers please e-mail me with any questions before hand and afterwards with your results.

Copyright September 2002