Homemade Fluting Pliers
I wanted to practice my newfound welding skills, so here is how I made a set of fluting pliers out of some imitation vice grips and some 3/16" rod. I should have taken out the spring before this process, so if you are going to try to make your own, be sure to take the spring out. The heat from welding causes the heat treatment to change on the spring and it becomes brittle on the end.
They aren't perfect, but they didn't turn out too badly for a beginner like me. The last step is to add a layer of electrical tape to the surfaces so that they don't scar the aluminum.