Easy Cleats

[Thomas James]

Maybe I am reinventing the wheel - or this is redundant - or has been done before? Looking for some input. I am trying to develop a way to make cleating a crack quick, accurate, and fairly easy.  This my idea in progress:

This is based on using the StewMac 'Bridge Saver' tool.  I cut a bunch of spruce 'domes' and used them as cleats because they were easy to make and worked well. However, my challenge was placing them in the right spot.

My solution: I made two cauls from a cutting board. The top caul has three holes. The two outside holes are fitted with a stack of two 1/2" earth magnets each. The center hole it the 'aiming' hole. On the bottom caul the two outside holes have a 1/2" magnets inset. The center is scooped by the tool to hold the domed cleat. The process is quick and accurate. I made this today in about thirty minutes. Still working on refinements. Story developing... film at eleven... etc..  Tom

[Thomas James]

p.s. this a very rough prototype... Hoping to see other solutions. Tom

[Mark Pollock]

Very cool. This has got me thinking about ways to glue up some difficult back braces.

[Thomas James]

Mark. I did some braces a long while back with a similar method. I used cauls cut with V and U shapes to support the brace and magnet on the 'wings' - if that makes any sense?  Those caul parts done and gone, as I tend to re-use the magnets because of the cost.

[Frank Ford]

If the cost of magnets is a problem, go directly to eBay and save about 90%. . .

[Thomas James]

Thanks for the tip Frank. I am heading there now. Don't know why I did think of that earlier. Forehead slap. Those magnets are useful for so many things. Cheers, Tom.

[Alex Glasser]

very cool.  good idea!

[Mike Kolb]

Yeah, that's a refreshing take on cleats. I've got a Takamine with some top cracks to do this afternoon... maybe I'll take that half-hour break and make a pair of those up!  Nice thinking, for sure.

[Paul Breen]

I did not invent this method, I probably stole the idea form Frank Ford or Dan Erlewine or saw it in a book. Very simple, easy to make tools that can reach wherever you need a cleat. Make them as required for a specific application and before long you'll have a nice set of cleat put-er-in-ers. Pictures are pretty self explanatory, bent rod with a pointy end to stab and hold the prepared cleat. Use with hot hide glue. The hide glue tacks quickly, you set the cleat, hold it in place for a few moments, wiggle the tool from side to side gently to release the cleat, works like a charm. If you bodge it putting it in, no sweat, the hot hide glue on it will be re-activated when you dip it in some fresh stuff. Place mirrors and a light inside for top cleats.

[Thomas James]

Thanks Paul. I have tried something similar. I will explore this further. What id your method for forming the the cleats? Thanks Tom

[Paul Breen]

Tom, I use a pencil to lay out a diamond grid on a small piece of thin Spruce and cut them by hand, flat on a table with a small saw. Cut on the lines and separate the rectangle same width strips and then again into individual pieces. I have a 1" wide vertical belt sander that I use that to bevel the edges. I do them in batches of 30 - 40 at a time, takes me about a half hour to generate that many this way. A good project for when your having your coffee.

[Robbie Collins]

Nice idea! I am partial to diamond shaped cleats but your tool could be easily modified. Be hard to put a cleat near a brace but I suppose the width could be narrowed.

I recently tried to use a 3/4" x 1/8" disc magnet on top of a rosewood cleat with three stacked ones outside but the holding power was insufficient.

I'm still figuring them out.  I ordered some 5/8" x 5/8" N42 cylinders "axially magnetized" and while they stick together like glue when idle they tend to want to flip onto their sides when put to work.