No doubt all users of zip ties have mistakenly cinched them down and had to take it off later. The easy way is to just cut it off. This is quick but it ruins the zip tie. With this tool you can remove them and reuse them several times reducing waste and saving the environment (just a little bit)! Making 2 of these tools takes less than 5 minutes on a bench grinder so what do you have to loose?

Supplies

used utility blade

zip tie

bench grinder, Dremel or similar

5 minutes of time

Step 1: Materials and Tools

This project will require you have a utility blade (preferably used and dull), bench grinder, Dremel, or lots of patience and a stone.

First, take a look at the size of zip ties you regularly use. If you care to be precise, measure the width if the zip tie.

Perhaps the most important step is to grind off the sharp edge of the utility blade. Please don't skip this step.

You can grind 2 tools in a single utility blade. My "thick" tool is about 2.5mm across and 4mm deep. I just eyeballed this on the grinder. The "thin" tool is about 1.5mm and 5mm deep. You can layout the dimensions with a marker if you are not comfortable eyeballing it on the grinder.

Step 2: Grind and Deburr

My eyeballed 2 tool version is pictured here. This took only a few minutes on a bench grinder. I tapered the thickness down a bit on the grinder and slightly rounded the edges with a stone.

Step 3: Using the Tool

To use the tool you can just force it under the tongue however this may damage the mechanism.

If you want to reuse the zip tie you can gently tighten it so that the ratchet disengages but not so tight that it clicks to the next serration. Next slip the tool between the tongue and the serration and pull out the serration to remove..