Cool Tools

[bgdriveway]

I am always looking out for cool tools/ tricks to make things easier doing maintenance or related. What thing do you use to get jobs done quicker? My tools are mostly maintenance related, but feel free to share other ideas too.

My favorite is a about a 4 in piece of 2" dia PVC pipe cut in half. It's used in reinstalling a wheel strut after replacing the orings. Cessna nose gear in particular. Place the two halves around the chrome of the strut and you can push the fitting and orings into the upper half with the fork. It makes reassembling so much easier.

Another is a wire tool for making band clamps from safetywire. I first saw it Oshkosh, then kicked myself for several years for not buying it until I saw it at the AK state fair. It's found here: http://akcooltools.com/clamptite.html

The third is a way to jack an Aircraft that has no jack point on a wheel. One side is a pivot point (fulcrum) turned perpendicular to the rest of the bar, which gives the lever some stability. The long side is curved to go over the wheel to a floor jack that does the lifting. It's not a perfect curve, and the floor jack side is shorter than the fulcrum side. In the middle is a cable to go around the axle and back up to the bar. So when one lifts the floor jack up, it lifts the load in the center using the far side as the fulcrum. I may have a pic somewhere. This was borrowed from someone in the RV world.

 

[David]

Thanks for posting the link to the safety wire clamp tool. What a clever idea

I am always looking out for cool tools/ tricks to make things easier doing maintenance or related. What thing do you use to get jobs done quicker? My tools are mostly maintenance related, but feel free to share other ideas too.

My favorite is a about a 4 in piece of 2" dia PVC pipe cut in half. It's used in reinstalling a wheel strut after replacing the orings. Cessna nose gear in particular. Place the two halves around the chrome of the strut and you can push the fitting and orings into the upper half with the fork. It makes reassembling so much easier.

Another is a wire tool for making band clamps from safetywire. I first saw it Oshkosh, then kicked myself for several years for not buying it until I saw it at the AK state fair. It's found here: http://akcooltools.com/clamptite.html

The third is a way to jack an Aircraft that has no jack point on a wheel. One side is a pivot point (fulcrum) turned perpendicular to the rest of the bar, which gives the lever some stability. The long side is curved to go over the wheel to a floor jack that does the lifting. It's not a perfect curve, and the floor jack side is shorter than the fulcrum side. In the middle is a cable to go around the axle and back up to the bar. So when one lifts the floor jack up, it lifts the load in the center using the far side as the fulcrum. I may have a pic somewhere. This was borrowed from someone in the RV world.

 

[frfly172]

Clamptight had a booth at the LSA show in Sebring this year.

 

[timwinters]

Thanks for posting the link to the safety wire clamp tool. What a clever idea

Am I missing something or is the weak spot the "wire loop" that you pass the wire back through when wrapping it around the pipe? She doubled up on the wraps but it appears as if the loop is still only one wire.

I don't know...it just looks like a $100 solution to a $5 problem to me.

 

[Norman]

Might be OK on VERY low pressure hoses, but can also be done with safety wire pliers.

 

[MyassisDragon]

Another is a wire tool for making band clamps from safetywire. I first saw it Oshkosh, then kicked myself for several years for not buying it until I saw it at the AK state fair. It's found here: http://akcooltools.com/clamptite.html

I like that, Wouldn't use it for long term fix but it looks like it would go well in the emergency repair bag, along with the duct tape, bungee cords, coat hanger, chewing gum, Popsicle stick, rope, and aluminum foil.

 

[Tom-D]

Might be OK on VERY low pressure hoses, but can also be done with safety wire pliers.

You don't put clamps on high pressure hoe anyway.

I have one and use the heaviest safety wire, they work on vac hose and such. Anywhere you can use a hose barb and clamp you can use this.

MY favorite new gadgets are the new electronic stuff like the angle cube.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/281221180493?lpid=82

 

[timwinters]

I have one and use the heaviest safety wire, they work on vac hose and such. Anywhere you can use a hose barb and clamp you can use this.

But is that legal?

MY favorite new gadgets are the new electronic stuff like the angle cube.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/281221180493?lpid=82

Curious, have you tested it for accuracy?

I've found some of the digital stuff to be not all that accurate and that just because it's digital doesn't mean it's accurate.

 

[Clark1961]

But is that legal?

Bad Tim, no donut

 

[Norman]

You don't put clamps on high pressure hoe anyway.

I have one and use the heaviest safety wire, they work on vac hose and such. Anywhere you can use a hose barb and clamp you can use this.

MY favorite new gadgets are the new electronic stuff like the angle cube.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/281221180493?lpid=82

Heaviest safety wire I know of is .091 in. Is that what you're using?

 

[bgdriveway]

Might be OK on VERY low pressure hoses, but can also be done with safety wire pliers.

They advertise using it to repair hyd. Hoses. I might do that if i were way out in the bush, and had to get home. not while I am in my hangar. I've seen it do a water tight seal on two significantly different sized tygon tubes. Because of the mechanical action on how it pulls the wire, it will become far tighter than you can do with safety wire pliers. The limit is really the wire used. Its rare for me to use anything other than .041 SS wire.

Besides using as a band clamp, I've used it to resecure fire sleeve on lines. Also used it on a ground cart when a control cable shell broke and the center cable was pushing out.

 

[Dan Thomas]

But is that legal?



Curious, have you tested it for accuracy?

I've found some of the digital stuff to be not all that accurate and that just because it's digital doesn't mean it's accurate.

I have this one:

I have calibrated it, and it's deadly. Accurate to a tenth of a degree. The old mechanical inclinometers, with their tiny scales and sticky needles, couldn't come anywhere near to a half-degree accuracy.

Dan

 

[gismo]

Thanks for posting the link to the safety wire clamp tool. What a clever idea

I've been using a ClampTite for several years on various projects. It's particularly useful in situations where there's little room for a clamp as the wire doesn't increase the hose diameter by much. And I've never had one come apart but I have had issues with leaks.

 

[Tom-D]

But is that legal?

Why wouldn't it be?

Curious, have you tested it for accuracy?

Yes, Right on the money

I've found some of the digital stuff to be not all that accurate and that just because it's digital doesn't mean it's accurate.

I bought the angle cube to time the warner, it worked perfect.