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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Paul Smith on September 20, 2008, 11:24:44 AM
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While building a replacement for my outdoor work bench/test stand support, I added HOME PULL TESTER as a 3rd function.
The key element is a ball bearing grooved trolley supported by a couple of angle iron clips. I needed a steel cable, similar to a control handle cable, to complete the system.
As mentioned here and elsewhere, swaging is the best way to terminate cable, but the tool is kinda spendy.
I bought the cable at Tony's (Home Depot), for 20 cents a foot. The swage kit was $1.24. They allowed me to do the swaging myself in the store without buying the tool. U.S. Boat also condones this practice, but they didn't have any 1/16" cable.
I used 1/16" cable because it's virtually identical to what comes on the better ready-made handles. The rated working load is 124 pounds.
While I'm testing my lines and planes, I will also be testing the cable and swaging process before I apply it handles.
So in use, if I want to test just a plane, I can clip the leadouts to the cable and lift the weight. I'm making lines, I hook up a handle and the lines and lift the weight. Currently, I have 20# and 33# weights, which covers anything I intend to build.
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I make up my own lines from bulk cable. I drive a small nail into my patio bench (it is 80" long) and after cutting to length and wrapping the ends, slip the ferrules over the nail. I pull each wire individually to what I estimate about 50 lbs. Since I use the "AMA wrap", they always pass the pull test.
Floyd in OR
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That was my old process. I'm trying to upgrade. At least up to 19th century technology.
A lot of contests pull test by feel. This system is intended to be used on existing lines and airplanes to guard against failure due to fatigue.