Torsion Test

A wooden spring clothespin lay wedged against the base of the railing post. I approached the hardware to test its mechanical integrity. Planted my boots on the cedar plank, gripped the tapered wooden levers with both gloved hands, and squeezed inward. The center steel torsion coil yielded cleanly under pressure, swinging the serrated jaws open by half an inch. I released the grip; the spring snapped the teeth shut with a clean, sharp crack. Good clamping force. I repositioned the clamp over the lower baluster molding and drove it home, securing a rigid upright stanchion.