[Chris Chitty]

Top Up Valve Question:

I Searched around and didn’t see an answer to this question.  If you want to install the top up valve with heat sealing do you seal a patch of fabric to the valve and then to the raft?  Any suggestions on location?  Thanks!

[Chris Chitty]

Clover Mini Iron II Modification

Hey All,

I just received my kit and started trying to put it together when my Clover iron started letting me down.  Mine was able to generate adequate heat but the cheesy dimple connection of the “stem” to the handle immediately loosened up with the lateral pressure I was applying to it, to the point where the red hand guard would touch the fabric before the iron could get the right angle.

You can see the press fit connection is not designed to withstand any sort of force on it.  I went to the hardware store and picked up a 1/2″ weld on T-nut like this:

 

I cut the red pastic hand guard off in order to get at the screws and used that as a pattern to drill 1/8″ holes in the T-nut for the mounting screws.  I reamed the threads of the T-nut with a 31/32″ drill to clear the stem and installed the T-nut in place of the hand guard.  You might notice that I ground some flats on the flange of the nut to chuck in the vise.

It is now quite stout.  I haven’t done much work with it but I am feeling a lot better about things.  I think you could put a piece of 5/8″ pipe over the T-nut with a couple of set screws in lieu of aluminum foil if you needed an insulator.  I’ll let you know how it works as I do more work.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Chris Chitty.
• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Chris Chitty.

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