Aviation "Safety Wire"

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captain_john
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Aviation "Safety Wire"

Post by captain_john »

Kinda off topic, but not really.

In case you didn't know, we got our first good snow of the year today in Massachusetts. I would say that here in Plymouth we got about 8" - 10" of the very WET stuff.

In an example of true irony, I used 0.040" stainless safety wire to engage the auger drive of my snowblower and override the inherent safety mechanism!

There was NO WAY I was gonna shovel this stuff the old fashioned way!

As far as the on topic conversation, this was the first time I actually had an opportunity to use my safety wire pliers that I got this past summer! I never had an occasion prior to this to use these cool little buggers!

I can't wait to use them again!

:mrgreen: CJ

P.S. Bradley, now you know why I couldn't answer the phone! I was out blowing snow!

:P
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bullojm1
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Post by bullojm1 »

The first time I used my safety pliers was last December right before the Mattituck engine workshop. A few hours before I drove to the end of Long Island, I gave my truck a once-over. I noticed a hose clamp on the top of the radiator kept coming lose, and sure enough it was lose again. A few minutes stabbing my fingers with the safety wire produced a fix that is still going strong!

Since then, the only other time I used safety wire was to safety the fuel pickup tubes inside my tanks.
Mike Bullock
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svanarts
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Post by svanarts »

Safety wire is great. 1001 uses. Here's one: I use it to twist close really stubborn adel clamps. Once I get the bolt through the holes and the nut engaged by a few threads, I cut the wire off and then tighten the nut.
Scott VanArtsdalen
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RV7Factory
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Re: Aviation "Safety Wire"

Post by RV7Factory »

captain_john wrote:P.S. Bradley, now you know why I couldn't answer the phone! I was out blowing snow!
:P
I vaguely remember that stuff from my MA days. :P

Use #985 = I used safety wire to hang a 5' wreath on the front of my house.
Brad Oliver
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tmbg
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Post by tmbg »

I used safety wire to hang my empennage from my living room ceiling :D

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Ian
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1:1_Scale
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Post by 1:1_Scale »

I used safety wire as a replacement for the leaky T-bolt clamps on my boost pipes :mrgreen:
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

I am sooo glad I started this thread. I now see that I am not the only one who has found alternative uses for this stuff. It is pure magic in a cardboard cylinder!

Kelly, Bill H. just told me how he used it as a hose clamp too!

When I was an apprentice, my master told me about how he used to have hot rods in the 50's. I recall him saying how he used "baling wire" to fix alotta stuff. I never understood what he meant. How could you fix anything with baling wire anyways? Well, I understand better now!

:lol: CJ
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It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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