Quote:
Originally Posted by Byronic
This is the most detailed write up I have seen on this site. The only question I have is what are the cleckos? Are they magnets that hold parts together for welding? Your build helps me in so many ways.  |
(mcbassin) & (lax54650) are right
Cleckos come in many different hole sizes, I tend to use 1/8 inch size the most and they definitely help in holding all the parts in alignment before I start welding. In general I put them in where I’m going to create a kind of a spot weld using a MIG welder. Since I don’t have a spot welder to create the nice factory style spot welds after all the metal seams are welded up I pull one clecko at a time and drill the hole up to ¼ inch and weld it up with a copper backing plate and if possible go to the other side of the metal remove the copper backing plate and put a small button weld on the other side. I’ve found that any hole size smaller than ¼ inch does not have a good weld thru to have a solid simulated spot weld with a MIG welder. Grind the welds smooth on the finished side and possibly a little bondo and it’s ready for painting.
There are many different uses other than welding metal together and a nice tool to have in your arsenal to accomplish a rebuild or modifications. They can also be found at Summit Racing or Eastwood Company. (note spelling of the work could be different with different suppliers)
You might have also noticed that I’m also using Panel Clamps to aid in butt welding two panels together and help in keeping everything in alignment and with a proper gap for welding, they can be found at the Eastwood Company or Harbor Freight.
Hope this gives you a good idea of what cleckos are and how I use them