From: Mike Jackson

Ok! lets see if I can get my point across with the grabber I made using everyone else's ideas:

This working tool was made from a old paint roller handle, 2 strips of aluminum window screen frame packed with foam sealer and capped with wood (hammered into both ends), a longer strip of aluminum channel, some nuts & bolts, rope, nylon cord, large key rings, rubber sheeting and some double sided sticky tape (to hold the rubber on with).

photo grabber-3 shows a view from the top

1. The two shorter rubber covered bars attached to the handle are the screen framing this is the actual Gripper part.

2. The longer aluminum channel provides the clamping action and the power to grip the insulator as you start to break it loose from the pin. This is done by apply pull on the rear, witch in turn forces the Gripper closed and one twist and it loose.

3. After the first few times I added the rubber sheeting to the outside of the main Gripper blades and use it to 'spin' the insulator off the pole

4. The pointed remnants of the paint roller is used to, first to check if the cross-arm pin is loose (its amazing how many times I've just had to pop the pin up and out) and second use is when you have got your prize loose then you can use the point to lift it down.

The other photos are just to help out..

Please feel free to recomend...