I will soon be starting work on a Vector ARC.   I am seeing lots of recommendations to change out the leadouts.  How could I make my own, using the bellcrank that is already there and not spending a lot of money.  I have a .027 new set of leadout wires from Brodak and the leadouts from a destroyed Tutor II, still connected to the old bellcrank.   I've also considered doing a hardwire set of leadouts but they make transportation a bear.

Thanks in advance.

Allen Eshleman

Look in the CL General rules; one of the acceptable methods for finishing off a set of lines is to wrap the ends with copper wire.  There's a figure in there with directions.  Get yourself some eyelets (from Sig or Brodak or MBS Model Supply) and some wire (from Sig or Brodak or Radio Shack) and start winding.

The rules for 2013-2014 are there also.

http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/2013-2014CLGeneral.pdf

Instead of eyelets, I myself use peices of brass tubing that has been run thru a torch to anneal it.   Cut to 1 inch or longer lengths.   May have to open the holes in the bellcrank a little.  Put leadot thru tubing.  Insert in bellcrank hole and start wrapping if that what you want to do.   I use Carl Shoupes swagging method on mine.  Now the leadout end out side the wing tip, I insert the leadout in the tubing and wrap it around a 1/8" peice of wire or drill bit.   The tubing holds the leadout cable from moving.   If the bend is not quite where you want it, the cable can be moved a little.   

I use eyelets on the line ends, tubing at the bellcrank.  I was given a plane that uses very thin tubing around the line ends -- if I could scare some of that stuff up, I'd use it instead of eyelets and be happy!

I was taught to anneal brass, copper, and aluminum by my dad, who occasionally did bodywork on brass-era cars.

Take your oxy-acetylene torch (remember, you're in a body shop...) and start it up on acetylene only.  Soot up the surface of the metal with the torch until it's evenly blackened.  Then turn on the oxygen to get a neutral flame.  Use the flame to heat the metal until the soot just disappears -- when the soot burns off, the metal is at the right temperature to anneal, and you move your torch to the next spot.  It should air-quench* plenty fast to soften.

You could probably soot things up with a candle, and use a propane torch to do the annealing -- you'll have to try that part yourself if you don't have an oxy-acetylene set.

* non-ferrous metals harden and soften in reverse from steel: with steel you make it hard by heating it up and cooling it quick, to "freeze" the crystalline structure in place, and you make it soft by heating it up and cooling it slow, to let the crystalline structure relax.  With most alloys of non-ferrous metals, you make it soft by heating it above its critical temperature and quenching it, and you harden it ("precipitation harden") by holding it at elevated temperatures for a while.  It's all voodoo to me -- I just repeat what I've heard from folks who actually know: except it seems to work.

I use 3/32 tubing and bend it cold. Cut with the dremel+ disc.
Sometimes I solder the wrapping, but I use epoxi mostly.
Never had a problem.

Marcus

What size wire do you use for wrapping?   Believe it or not, it's easy to get on Amazon.