Tip: Alternate Uses for Safety Wire

[Ironflight]

I am a big fan of safety wire ? and not just because it keeps all the parts attached to the airplane! I use it all the time in construction, and thought I?d share a few techniques to get folks thinking.


1) It makes an outstanding measuring tool. Because it?s hard to stretch safety wire, it is very useful when trying to make two long measurements identical. For instance, to make sure that your horizontal stabilizer is square to the fuselage, fasten a long piece of wire to a pint on the center of the aircraft up near the cabin (a central rivet hole is good ? leave one open!). Now stretch the wire (hard!) to make it straight, and measure to a rivet near the tip of the stab. Put a kink in the wire with your fingernail. Now pull the wire to the same rivet on the other side of the stab (other side of the airplane), and make sure it hits the same point on the wire ? and you?re done! String stretches, and a measuring tape is hard to fasten to a common central point ? even having an assistant hold it can be dodgy. The wire being fastened to the central point makes it simple!

2) Make centerlines on bulkheads. When jigging the fuselage bulkheads of a slow-build, you can run a taught piece of thin safety wire between tooling holes on the top and bottom of the bulkhead. Stretch it tight, and you have a perfect centerline. Line this up on the jig centerline, and check it against level with a plumb bob, and your bulkhead is straight, centered, and true!




3) Marking the centerline on a jig. Drill a small hole right at the ?bed level? in the tail post of the jig. Run a piece of thin wire through it, and tie it off. Now stretch the wire all the way to the firewall, and mark where it lies on the bed cross-members with a razor knife ? you now have a perfect line on which to center your bulkheads!
4) My favorite safety wire trick when I had tail wheel springs was to run heavy-gauge wire through the center of the spring, then twist the two ends together to compress the spring for easy installation. Use two pieces of wire on opposite sides of the spring, and it will compress fully (and straight). Connect the chains, cut the safety wire, and you have nice tight chains!

Oh yes, and Louise reminds me that it is also a great way to tie turkey legs together for roasting in the oven!



Paul

[tinman]

Makes great dental floss as well...

[AlexPeterson]

I finally got around to putting an additional washer in the lower motor mount stacks, to correct some engine sag that started around 900 hours. I used some safety wire yesterday to remove a cotter pin from the infamous dynafocal engine mount bolt/nut. I got the pin as straight as I could, threaded some wire in the loop of the cotter pin, and heaved. Let's just say we contemplated overhauling the engine while we had those loose...

[videobobk]

A few years ago I saw a guy at Oshkosh selling a gadget that uses safety wire to make hose clamps. I made one as I was too cheap to shell out the $40. I believe I saved over a pound using safety wire instead of hose clamps on my 9A. All the vents, all the fire shield hoses, even the nose gear fairing. It requires a little space to tighten it, but it really works.

Bob Kelly

[az_gila]

Originally Posted by videobobk

A few years ago I saw a guy at Oshkosh selling a gadget that uses safety wire to make hose clamps. I made one as I was too cheap to shell out the $40. I believe I saved over a pound using safety wire instead of hose clamps on my 9A. All the vents, all the fire shield hoses, even the nose gear fairing. It requires a little space to tighten it, but it really works.

Bob Kelly

...one seems to be a bit cheaper on the street...

http://www.gemplers.com/product/HC8/...Standard-4-3-4

I've used a friends one a few times and they are a neat tool...

[Rick_A]

Also helps you find uncovered positive electrical sources.

When you drop a piece it touches the firewall and the + side of the master contactor you get a immediate indication that can't be missed.

It will make you want to cover all exposed + sources ASAP.

[videobobk]

VERY effective at drawing blood samples...

Bob

[jsharkey]

...it stopped the exhaust on my 17 year old daughter's SAAB from rattling. Much classier than a bent coat hanger. The SAAB is a million years old, was inherited from her brother and refuses to die.

Jim Sharkey

[Jamie]

Safety-wire is hands-down the best way to put adel clamps together back to back...just wrap safety wire around them to hold each adel clamp closed...put the bolt through the clamps, put a nut on the bolt finger tight and cut the safety off then torque the nut/bolt.

[Bubblehead]

Jamie - I tried this a couple of weekends ago and only suceeded in leaving red splotches of blood on the engine mount! How about posting a picture?