HotRock Handle Rebuild

[EddyR]

      Nothing new here as I have been doing this for years but maybe some people have not seen how to do it and it saves the old HotRock from the junk pile.
The first thing to wear out is the opening  where the cable exits on the front of the handle. I started putting tubing and later eyelets in the worn out holes. I used a lot of JB Weld on the inside to make it strong. I have been doing this for at least 15 years and none have worn out. Back at the 1988 Nats during my oldtime flight the lock on the back of the handle broke and I had to fly two handed to keep it from falling apart. After that I made the change you see here. I used a blind nut on the front of the handle and a bolted the lock plate in place.Just loosen it to make adjustments. It's now better than the original. I drill a hole for the safety thong and drill two holes in the back so I can see to run new cable. I was flying to day and was adjusting one of my rebuilt handles and noticed how stiff the cable was getting.I was still using the original cables in the rebuilt handles. I took two of them apart when I got home and used Bicycle Derailer cable to make new cables. It is the same size as the original HotRock wire but more flexible. It is .044-.046" thick. Don't use brake cable as it is to thick. I buy these in bulk for bike work and they are very inexpensive. Bike stores will have them and they may have ends in the junk barrel. The Ferrule cost $1.25 at Home Dedot. I use to JB Weld the adjustment plate back in and make it smooth but it is not necessary as it gets covered up when you put tape on the handle. I cover right over the adjustment plate and then cut a slot in it to get to the adjustment
Ed
     Note This is the correct spelling for" Derailer"

[W.D. Roland]

Thanks Ed!
This info is a fixin to come in handy.


David

[Robert Schroeder]

Great job Ed!  I needed that!  My original Hot Rock broke at the adjustment point in the back and I was wondering how to fix it.  Now I won't use those shiny new ones I found at Perry last year (actually, I wouldn't use them, they're perfect).

Bob

[skyshark58]

Buy a new handle! The plastic gets rotten and will fall apart in your hand. Ask Howard Rush about his experience!

[bill bischoff]

Or better yet, make one. Trace the shape of a hot rock handle on some nice 3/8 walnut or oak or something attractive. Cut out two halves. Cut a center core of 1/8 birch plywood. Make an "inner" and "outer" C-shaped piece, with a gap between them for the cable to run through. (Alternately you could just rout a slot for the cable in the two halves, but the plywood core is easier IMO.) Assemble/sand/finish and you have a nice looking wooden replacement for the used up plastic part. Add the hardware as you would for the plastic handle. If you just can't bear it, you could always paint it red.

[Wayne J. Buran]

Buy a new wood version. REYCO (Bill Reynolds) available thru your Brodak dealer.
Thanks
Wayne

[Larry Fernandez]

After the rebuild you still have a handle with no line space adjustment and stiff cable cable for line connection.

Just hurl it in to the garbage and buy a hard point handle.

Larry, Buttafucco Stunt Team

[Jim Kraft]

I have both the large handle and the Hot Rock that I bought back in the early 60's, and have used them off and on for years in their stock condition without problems. I do not use them much anymore as I have gone to making my own hard point handles. Were there certain years that they went bad, or is this something that happens to them all in time? Mine seem to have held up well although most of the planes I have flown with them have been Ringmasters and S-2 Mustangs, so not a lot of load on them.

[Robert Schroeder]

Jim,  The only Hot Rock that went south on me is the one I have used since I was 12 (?).  It saw extremely hard use to include a lot of combat.  I have a large handle I obtained sometime later andhave not used too much that is still in perfect condition.  I just happened to find it too sensitive to use very much.

Larry,There is no way I'd throw that handle away.  There's too much history between us.  I may never fly with it again, but being my first handle, I'd never part with it.  And yes, I do have hard point handles which I use.

Wayne, I have three Reyco handles and use them frequently, especially for first flights.  I love 'em.

Bob

[George]

Bob,

I can relate to your situation. I also have the large and the Hot Rock...got them back in ~1957. The large is almost unused and the Hot Rock is worn out.

I would occasionally check the cables but nothing else until one day I noticed that the ends were "hogged out" and the back was getting thin. I retired the Hot Rock and tried a couple of other handles, then settled on a Tom Morris handle.

George

[EddyR]

 I guess I will need to get out one of my six hard point handles to fly this little Perky.
I have Big Jim's cabled handle that he flew his Pattern Masters with maybe that will be strong enough to fly this little .15 powered Perky.
"Naaa "the little old Red HotRock will do fine.
Ed

[W.D. Roland]

I like the static discharge of the Hot Rocks. Hot Rocks---Hummm?
Flying just wouldn't be the same without it.




David
Flying makes hair kinky.