64 holes drilled so far but those holes aren't really "finished" so I can't check them off as done yet. I laid out a 1' spacing rivet pattern, marked the hole locations with a p_r_i_c_k punch (this is not a disabling karate blow
It's like a center punch but the tip has a sharper angle), and drilled the holes with a #30 drill. These will serve as pilot holes for a #20 drill later.
May people ask about this so I'll post a picture of two different types of Cleco clamps-- one is the ordinary spring-loaded clamp that is installed with special pliers that compress its spring. When a Cleco is inserted into a hole and the pliers relax the tension, the spring inside pulls the two sheets together by expanding its diameter (and aligning the holes in both sheets) by catching the rear of the bottom hole with small "ears" on its expandable shaft. This type of Cleco is common, easy to find, and relatively inexpensive.
The less common Cleco is the larger one. It is called a "cylindrical Cleco" and it has far greater pull-up force that the little ones. Instead of an internal spring to generate clamping force, it has a threaded spindle and it is installed by turning the top of the spindle. There are pneumatic tools to install these but there is a little manual tool that is handy & cheap. A small circular collar with a sprag clutch lets you turn it one way to tighten and if it is turned over, to loosen the clamp.
While I'm at it, let me put in a plug for pneumatic drills in this application. The one I'm using is a 4500 RPM air drill with a 1/4" chuck. It probably dates back to the Korean War but it still works nicely. Air drills have a number of advantages-- high RPM which is what you want for drilling small holes, it doesn't get hot (in fact the drill gets cold), you can stall it without burning up the motor, and it is small and lightweight.
This stuff may be obvious & boring to you guys who've been around a long time but I thought I'd pass along a little knowledge to those who haven't.
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ