---
title: "T Handle Wire Puller"
description: "I've been fighting not having a proper pick/hook in my toolbox for a long time. This fathers day weekend my son pulled out an old box of rc plane supplies..."
date: 2026-06-21
published: true
tags:
  - keeb
template: blog-post
---



I've been fighting not having a proper
pick/hook in my toolbox for a long time.  This fathers day weekend my son
pulled out an old box of rc plane supplies from my days trying to build planes
like flight test.  Inside there was a pack of piano wire.

!!! success  <a href="/rules/" class="wikilink" data-title="Rules" data-description="There is no such thing as magic 1. Be ready to roll back live deployments 1. If CI was too fast be suspicious 1. Always be available after a release. 1. No..." data-date="2025-10-30">Rules</a>-8

    Need a tool make a tool.

He had pulled this out while I had the soldering iron hot plucking away at a
keeb build that I've had sitting idle on the workbench for a long time.  The
dream of having several identical working builds at the same time is very close
to fruition, I just need some more work on the clone.

<a href="/tags/keeb/" class="wikilink" data-title="Posts tagged: keeb" data-description="All posts with the tag &#34;keeb&#34;">Posts tagged: keeb</a>

I was struggling to pull wires through traces of 3d prints.  You see I was once
a mechanical engineer, not electrical, so 3d modeling is my hammer that I can
turn into a tool for any solution, and I've just not put the time into learning
pcb design.  Someday maybe.  I always just take some scrap copper make a little
look and twist it around until I can get it close enough to pull with some
tweezers.

As he has this box out and I see the piano wire, its the perfect stiff wire to
use for the job.  only its so thick it doesn't even fit down inside the traces.
But after a bit of filing bending a hook and handle its proving to be a useful
tool in the handwired keyboard toolbelt.

<figure class="embed-figure">
  <a href="/shots/t-handle-wire-puller/" class="u-url">
    <img src="https://dropper.waylonwalker.com/file/162e035b-4711-4cfc-892b-e613dc364b83.webp?w=1200" alt="T Handle Wire Puller" width="1200" loading="lazy">
  </a>
  <figcaption>T Handle Wire Puller, with just the right hook on the end, and filed down just thin enough to slip in and grab wire.</figcaption>
</figure>


Notice I gave the hook a bit of paint, Not only does this make it easier to
find, but it signifies, this is my tool, its not just a random bit of wire, its
something that someone put some time and care into.

<figure class="embed-figure">
  <a href="/shots/t-handle-wire-puller-in-action/" class="u-url">
    <img src="https://dropper.waylonwalker.com/file/8395c79d-6094-4c51-8863-43748376ba9c.webp?w=1200" alt="T Handle Wire Puller In Action" width="1200" loading="lazy">
  </a>
  <figcaption>T Handle Wire Puller in Action, sliding in to grab some fresh copper.</figcaption>
</figure>


Its working great so far with zero signs of benging, the piano wire is really
hard to get bent in and out of shape unlike the soft copper wire I was using
out of convenience.