Idea from Laird Owens, that is in my archive of useful RV-List messages:
Here's a neat tool to hold "adel" or cushion clamps while your trying to thread on a washer and nut.
1. Take an old hacksaw blade and cut it down to about 4" long.
2. Grind off the teeth.
3. Grind a "V" in the end, about 1/4" wide by 1" long.
4. Slightly sharpen the "V" so it will engage a #10 screw's thread.
Now you put the clamp around the thing your holding, compress the clamp, insert a screw, then slide the tool up to the thread.
The tool will keep the clamp from moving and hold the screw in place while you thread a washer and nut on to the screw.
My father developed this technique back when he worked on the Lockheed Electra and passed it on to me where it worked well on my RV-6.
Also, the Aeroelectric Connection web site has a
page that shows you everything you wanted to know about adel clamps but were afraid to ask.
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I never used Laird's idea, but I did use a similar idea I stole from another builder. I made a tool from a piece of hacksaw blade. I cut a slot in the side of the blade, about 1/8" wide, and half way through the blade. You hold the Adel clamp together with one hand, then put the slot over the two flat parts of the clamp, right up next to the wire bundle. Let go, and the clamp will be jammed in the slot, holding it together while you fumble around getting the screw, washer and nut on. If you have two clamps to put on one screw, you can sometimes use two hacksaw blade tools, one on each clamp. That may, or may not work, depending on the angle between the two clamps.
Then, I stole another idea, and bought two pair of used
hemostats at OSH. I put a 3/16 punch through the screw holes in the Adel clamps. Then I use a hemostat to hold the flat parts of the clamp together. Pull out the punch, and insert the screw, washer and nut. Works great. If you have two clamps for one screw, you can use two hemostats.