RS Clip Leads

Recently while working on my Boat, I was tracing, replacing, and testing some indicator lights on the DC Control Panel. Most of the original plastic lights holders were broken at the panel. I decided to replace all of the indicator lights with LEDs.  While at the local Radio Shack store to pick up a single White LED, I notices they have a nice neat pack of four 30 inch Clip Leads - just what I needed to help with the task. And besides, a set of clip leads could be handy to have on the boat.

Radio Shack - Clip Leads

But DANG!, the Radio Shack Clip Leads are almost impossible to use, the plastic shield around the clips is very slick inside, and trying to clip on to something is almost impossible. The clip rotates inside the shield when trying to open the jaws. WHAT A PAIN!  I wonder how the "uses test" designer engineer, managed to build such a useless product !

Out of frustration, I quit using the Clip Leads.

Later while thinking about the manufacturing process and thinking that they may have put a "release agent" within the shield to help de-mold them. Maybe they used something like Silicon Grease?

What was needed for my Clip Leads, was a way to remove the release agent, or change the inside texture. I thought about that a while, . . . and came up with an easy workable solution.

I put a sprinkle of "Sandblasting Grit" inside each shield.

It worked like a champ!

Although, I was a little worried about transporting a small plastic bag of white powder (grit) to the boat :-)

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