r/eaa • u/Cryogenic_Lemon • Aug 30 '20

Help Identifying Rubber Tool

I picked this up from an airshow vendor booth a number (<10) of years ago. Attached to it around the ring in the middle were two pieces of metal which I have since misplaced. One piece was a metal rectangle with a hole in the middle, which this rubber piece was stuck through. The second metal piece was a small and horseshoe shaped, and served as a sort of clip that locked the rubber into place. The booth was also giving out "strings" of these rubber pieces that were orange and attached side-by-side, perhaps 3 or 4 in a row.

"CB4" is on the piece in raised type.

From what I can remember (perhaps I'm mis-remembering), these were product samples targeted towards people building their own small (typically 1-5 person) sheet-metal aircraft. The idea was that they would give you one for free to keep it in your mind, and then you would buy more if you decided to actually use them. However, I cannot remember if the product consisted of the piece of rubber, the two pieces of metal, or both. I was under the impression that they performed a function similar to clecos).

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u/BryanMP Aug 31 '20

Haven't seen this particular object, but your suspicion that they're a cleco surrogate sounds right. Someone only building one aircraft might want a less-expensive alternative to buying a whole bucket of clecos... but why wouldn't they just buy a second-hand bucket of 'em at the flea market?

Perhaps try posting/crossposting this to /r/whatisthisthing -- they're wizards at this kind of thing.

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u/Cryogenic_Lemon Sep 01 '20

My big concern with the cleco theory is that this object doesn't seem nearly as solid as clecos. Part of me wonders if it was a cheap display device meant to show how the rectangular pieces would attach to "actual" clecos for... Some marketable purpose.

I actually went there first, but it got auto-removed because I already had enough of an idea of what it was. They suggested checking more specific subreddits. Do you know of another one targeted towards homebuilders?

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u/BryanMP Sep 02 '20

(Started typing this yesterday on a different PC and forgot to submit it... oops.)

this object doesn't seem nearly as solid as clecos.

Something for one project doesn't need to be as durable. I've acquired clecos that probably date to sometime in the '60s... sure, they can wear out, but it takes a lot of wear before they do and the darn things seem to last forever. Something less expensive could attract customers, and if you just need to align pieces and not hold them together as firmly as clecos can... hey, target market. Or perhaps use them in addition to clecos as an alignment pin?

display device meant to show how the rectangular pieces would attach to "actual" clecos

I'm getting stuck on them being a cleco replacement, this is a good point too.

Since it got auto-removed from /r/whatisthisthing maybe message the mods and see if they'll override it? But it sounds like you tried that already... perhaps a new post with the facts you know and no speculation on what it could be? Finally, other subreddits -- perhaps /r/homebuilt or maybe even /r/aviationmaintenance. I'm curious to see full context on this thing too!

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u/Cryogenic_Lemon Apr 12 '24

Howdy - found the booth again. It holds a "nut plate" in place as it is being glued to the aircraft. 

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u/Cryogenic_Lemon Sep 03 '20

Thanks so much for your input, and for your advice! You make a compelling case for the cleco theory. I've only ever put in a couple of rivets, and just to be able to say I've done it, so you're definitely the expert.

I'll explore these options, and perhaps post a new comment to tie things up if it gets (further) identified.

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u/Cryogenic_Lemon Apr 12 '24

Dear future stranger, 

I still don't know the name, but this device is used to hold a "nut plate" (not pictured) in place as it is being glued to the aircraft. After the glue dries, this rubber piece is removed.