* Photo: Todd Tankersley * What it is: Peters Machine 750-ART gripper and A-750 handle
What it's used for: Moving spent nuclear fuel rods and containers in storage pools
Tongs. They're great for flipping steaks, picking up sugar cubes, and, of course, fishing stuff from the bottom of radioactive pools. These lightweight, $2,850 pincers are hand-machined from rigid 6061 aluminum, commonly used for aircraft wings, yacht hulls, and bike frames. They work like locking pliers; a knob on the end of the handle adjusts the serrated jaws, allowing them to clamp down on objects up to 4.5 inches thick. The 14-pound tool (with its 20-foot aluminum extension — you do want to keep your distance) can hold up to 150 pounds. Operators at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington use it to open old fuel canisters, clean the rods, and repack them in new containers. "You can pick up anything from a cinder block to a dime," says Larry Peters, who builds the gripper. Of course, you'd have to wait 240,000 years before spending that 10 cents.
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