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Building Tips and technical articles. => Building techniques => Topic started by: Steve Berry on May 30, 2022, 07:19:09 PM
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I'm building a plane roughly the size of a Magician with elevator only (no flaps). The problem is I don't have a reliable elevator joiner wire right now. I do have a spruce or basswood spar, and a birch dowel, that could use instead. All I would need to do is cut a notch into each elevator, epoxy in the joiner, and shape the whole thing (round the leading edge, etc), as well as lengthen the notch for the stab in the fuselage to account for the wooden joiner.
I can also use some fiberglass to wrap the joint to reinforce it.
Before I actually do it, is this just a bad idea? I don't have any 3/32" wire handy, and would have to get a wire bender anyways, and all of that would take time (I'm being impatient about this stage).
Steve
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Steve I have done that many times with no problem.
Mike
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Steve I have done that many times with no problem.
Mike
That was how we did it "back in the day" of cloth hinges and plywood horns. So, have at it. I would probably go with the birch dowel IF it is straight grained. Bass splits easily and spruce will twist. Got an old CF pushrod laying around? Not as pretty but it will actually be stiffer than the wire. Don't plan on tweaking though!
Ken
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Depending on how thick the elevator is, use something round. There are all sorts of bamboo products available in various sizes that are cheap useful for other things. Carbon fiber rod or tubing, aluminum tubing, even just plain old wooden dowels from the hardware store and you suggestion of using epoxy and glass to re-enforce the joint should give you some confidence that it will last as long as the rest of the model. Countless numbers of models have been design with elevator joiners like this through the years.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
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Really late answer, but I've recently grown fond of bamboo chopsticks I pick up for free at eating establishments. They make great cabane struts and "N" struts, and I wouldn't hesitate to use one form joining elevators.
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I myself haad a couple of planes break with wood joiners. Just go get a good plier and some music wire from your local hard ware store. Drillor slot your elevators for the wire and reenforce with cloth or fibre glass. Makes for smaller opening in the rudder and/or fuselage. D>K
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Really late answer, but I've recently grown fond of bamboo chopsticks I pick up for free at eating establishments. They make great cabane struts and "N" struts, and I wouldn't hesitate to use one form joining elevators.
I had the same idea, but it didn't work out. I was at a local Italian restaurant and asked for a chopstick. The waiter gave me a snotty look and handed me a fork. I thought OK, I guess. Looks a bit heavy, but I'll just cut a piece off the handle and file it down. Things went downhill when I walked out of the restaurant with the fork.
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Go to your welding supply and ask for aluminum welding rod.
Make sure you pick an alloy that can tolerate being bent 90 degrees [with your round nose pliers] without cracking
For a .40 sized plane with a 1/4 inch thick elevator I think 3/16" dia. wire would be plenty.
For a center bearing I've used several winds of thread or else K&S tubing.
File the "fangs" of your joiner to a point.
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You're killing me Howard
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I had the same idea, but it didn't work out. I was at a local Italian restaurant and asked for a chopstick. The waiter gave me a snotty look and handed me a fork. I thought OK, I guess. Looks a bit heavy, but I'll just cut a piece off the handle and file it down. Things went downhill when I walked out of the restaurant with the fork.
Good one Howard,
Full of Jive like normal, but it was very funny.
Mikey
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I had the same idea, but it didn't work out. I was at a local Italian restaurant and asked for a chopstick. The waiter gave me a snotty look and handed me a fork. I thought OK, I guess. Looks a bit heavy, but I'll just cut a piece off the handle and file it down. Things went downhill when I walked out of the restaurant with the fork.
You are awe inspiring !! Ban from my local restaurant is a small price to pay for a good strut. Gonna move this one to the inboard wing and find a restaurant with heavier silverware for the outboard strut, so I can avoid adding tip weight. And I can use the tines for leadouts !!