Well, my order of clecos showed up. It was in a pretty small box on the front step, but that little tiny box was deceptively heavy.
After unpacking the box, I noticed that this bag is a bag of 500 clecos.
They actually opened the bag and removed 100 clecos to get to my order of 400. I wish I had known, I would have ordered another 100 just to save them the trouble of counting them all out.
Bag o' clecos!
Anyway, I emptied them into my (now empty) silver cleco bin (an old tupperware container).
I even left the automatic flash on so they would shine a little extra for you.
These things are brand-spanking new. And made in the USA.
U.S.A!
Some people on the forums were pointinng out that I got a heck of a good deal at $0.35 each, and they suspected they were not going to be the new, USA-made clecos.
Well, these are new.
This next picture shows a few of my different kinds of clecos. From left to right:
1) Clekolok USA, new today (from Innovative Tool Supply)
2) Kwik lok USA, purchased about a year ago (from the Yard)
3) Kwik lok USA, purchased about a year ago (from the Yard’s used bulk area)
4) Unknown, purchased about a year ago (from the Yard’s used bulk area)
New to old, they all work the same. I haven't noticed any degradation of holding power.
Anyway, I then spent the next half hour sticking these new clecos into my right wing.
Based on a conversation with Bill Repucci, I’ve decided to mitigate all of my alignment concerns by just 50% clecoing the wing. (50% meaning every other hole, as opposed to 25%, which would be the Van’s suggested everth fourth hole.)
I have to admit, that thing is rock solid now.
The right top skins with a cleco in every other hole.
I looked at my new cleco stash and realized I was about halfway through them already.
Crap... those went fast.
After another half hour of every other hole clecoing the right bottom skins, I reached in my cleco bucket and only had two clecoes left.
Uh oh.
Darnit.
I almost made it with 600 clecos.
There are a few missing clecos along the rear spar (towards the bottom of the picture).
When I get to that area during matchdrilling. I’ll just move some of my clecos from other areas.
1 hour of clecoing fun.
Contrary to what other builders have to say, my hand isn’t that tired, and I therefore don’t intend on spending $200 for a pneumatic cleco runner. Take that!
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