Sticking clecos

[Chewie]

I feel silly asking this, but do you guys have a quick and easy solution to get a stubborn cleco to fully retract? A small percentage or so won't clamp thin sheet because they are stuck open a little bit. I can press them the rest of the way in, but that's a pain.

[Collin Campbell]

I hear ya...have this happen all the time. I think they sometimes get a little rusty inside, so I squirt them with WD-40. Collin

[Chewie]

It felt more mechanical than rust but you're probably right, maybe I just need to let the solvent sit a little longer.

BTW I had the great pleasure of sitting in your patrol which now lives in Mike Mooney's hangar. What an honor to be talking to you!

[Flygirl1]

Mark, welcome to the world of clecoing!! If I ever squeeze another cleco again, it will be too soon. Have you had any not engage properly and go flying across the room yet?

[davzLSA]

yeah I feel your pain, building the RV wings got me carpal tunnel syndrome, And now I have the excitement of having to building 2 LSA wings now. I can wait to get started.

[Chewie]

I used plenty of big clecos on the spars but yeah I'm sure it's nothing like building an RV.
No cleco projectiles yet.

[Flygirl1]

Found out about this AFTER we finished needed it!! Aircraft Spruce has a nifty little tool called a PNEUMATIC CLECO INSTALLATION TOOL. :-)

[geraldmorrissey]

Broke my arm when I fell off a ladder last fall. My rehabilitation was squeezing a pair of cleco pliers. It helped me get my arm strength back and get my spars drilled up. Weird huh? Try soaking your clecos in acetone or Aviation Cleaning Solvent #2 (avgas).
Gerry
Patrol #30 wings

[Chewie]

That's perfect Gerry (although with my pliers my arm seems to lose strength, not gain. I've learned to switch hands to spread the load out.) Perhaps foot actuated cleco pliers would make for a timely gift for Bob!

Thanks for the tip, I'll try that.