Newbie

[Rayh]

I am excited about just ordering my first RV12 kit. After meeting with Mitch in MD and going on a demo, I was sold. Better yet, my wife was sold!
Cannot wait to get it delivered and started. I have a question. My friend just built an RV6 and going to lend all of his tools to me. Which clecos are mostly used for the 12 and how many is recommended to have on hand?
Thanks
Ray in WV

[rgmwa]

My Isham toolkit came with 350 copper and 50 silver clecos. That was enough, but more is always good. What's your kit number?

[ppilotmike]

IMHO, you can't have too many. Besides, later, if you sell them, they maintain their value pretty well. My advice, is to get a pneumatic cleco runner if your friend didn't have one. The benefit is that you don't develop the handshake clutch of death from using the cleco pliers. The drawback is you don't get the handshake clutch of death, which can be quite useful for negotiations with friends...

[Rayh]

I don't have the Kit number yet. I emailed the order form in and used the webstore tpo make the payment. Maybe tomorrow I will know something.

[Rayh]

Handshake clutch of death would definitely be useful at times. lol
But a pneumatic cleco runner sounds like a good thing to have.

[Mike S]

Hey Ray, welcome aboard the good ship VAF

[XOverZero]

Hi Ray, and let me add a welcome, too.

If it wasn't clear in previous posts, please note that the RV-12 requires many more copper (⅛") clecos than silver (3/32"), which is just the opposite of what you may find in a tool kit designed for the RV-6. The difference is that the -12 uses mostly -4 blind rivets instead of -3 solid rivets. Big difference. You will need at least 350 copper clecos, and not very many silver ones.

The comments about 'handshake clutch of death' are well taken, and should be taken seriously. Squeezing all those clecos by hand is one of the surest ways to develop a persistent case of lateral epicondylitis (AKA tennis elbow), which if you haven't experienced it, hurts?quite a bit. My advice is not to chance it. It's wisest to consider the pneumatic cleco runner a must have.

Good luck and hope you enjoy the build. It's a lot of fun!

[Rayh]

Thanks for all of the replies. I will definitely be checking out the pneumatic cleco runner. I have been offered the use of my friend's pneumatic rivet puller and will take him up on that offer also.

[John-G]

Ray,

The 50 silver #40 Clecos suggested WILL get the job done. However, that said, the only area where I wish I had more silver Clecos thus far was when match drilling the parts for the roll bar. Yes, I was able to get the job done with 50 but it was a hassle to constantly move Clecos around from one portion of the roll bar to another. I would have liked to have an additional 50 silver Clecos for that job because guessing there must be at least 200 holes in the roll bar components.

During assembly of the roll bar, I plan on borrowing extra silver Clecos from another RV builder in my area.

Building the RV-12 is a lot of fun. Happy building!

[Rayh]

Thanks John, I will keep that in mind. I live on an airpark and there are some clecos nearby that I will be able to borrow when needed.