Having a long history of losing clips, brushes, small nuts bolts and springs while working on things, I have developed a method.
1: Be comfortable it doesn't help to be a contortionist or in any physical stress while working with tiny bits.
2: work over a plastic tub with a white towel on the bottom, these will catch dropped items.
3: slow and deliberate, 2 more minutes to not lose the part can save you days of searching with a flash light on the ground.
4: jewelers loupes are your friend I like a 5x and a 10x seeing the detail makes small movements look substantial and large movements look dangerous.
5: good light is a must!
6: jewelers style screw drivers (small)
&: oh yea a pin or a round wooden tooth pick
now that everything is assembled..
turn on the light, put the loupe to your eye pick up the pot, get the screw driver.
the clip can be rotated on the post and the post has a sort of rectangular head push the clip around until I can see daylight between the clip and the post.
to wedge the corner of the small screwdriver in between the clip and the post you can rotate the screwdriver just a bit and the clip starts to release from the post. As the clip moves away from the post allow it to drop into the tub onto the paper towel. or if it is adhering due to oils pick it up or slide it off with the small driver, a pin or the tooth pick.
replacing can be more hazard prone since pressure is needed as opposed the fulcrum action of twisting the screw driver when removing.
again the loupe and good light and over the tub.
Make sure the slot for the clip is accessible. with these pots the wipers are springy so you need to compress the boards a little to get the clip slot accessible. or if the wipers are in backwards there is no access to the slot.
Place the clip in the correct orientation to where it will slide to. (a little oil can help the clip adhere to the surface)
once aligned i start with trying to push the clip on and into place with the screw driver head. very very light pressure. if it works it works if not try something else.
something else is for me hemostat clamps or very small needle nose pliers. one side on the post other on the center of the clips arc and SLOWLY gently press the clip into the slot. some of these click into place some do not
and done.
none of this takes any force at all so don't apply force. work SLOWLY and in small increments . also support you hands and arms any shake from instability is HUGE.
OH and NO coffee!
lol I never realized how many steps I go through to remove one tiny C or E clip
hope this helps. the more you do it the easier it get.
