Tying lines to length

[Matt Brown]

I’ve watched several videos on wire wrapping lines and leadouts but not seen anything on methods of making two lines the same length to a specific length. I used to use line crimps for combat lines and that worked pretty decent. I staked down a couple wood planks with a small cup hook and working on the ground it only took a minute or two to cut and crimp a line. I’m pretty sure I can’t work on the ground long enough to wrap lines. My back and knees would not be happy!
Maybe a way to mark length after wrapping one end? I watched a video by Fred Cronenwett where he made up a nice little fixture to work out of a vise but I can’t see that working if the lines are stretched out to length without any support.
Admittedly, there are time I have Mr. Obvious moments where I completely overlook obvious solutions. This kind of feels that way but so far I’m not seeing it!
How do you make up lines?

Thanks, Matt

[Phil Spillman]

Hi Matt, Not that this is or might be the best and only way to do this chore BUT its my way! First if at all possible get two spools of the diameter you want to use, for the most part I use .015 cables as these are appropriate for .40 to .46 size engines and weights) I make up ends the AMA way as described in the General Rules section of the Control Line Rule book. Check it out on their web site. I use shrink tight tubing, found at Radio Shop or it's equivalent install two different color one on each line. Wrap hair wire to whip the lines around the thimble used to hold your line connectors either to the handle or the lead outs. I use white shrink tubing for up and red or black for down. These must be put on the main lines before you wrap them. I wrap my lines by using 20" of hair wire for each line. Wrap the flying line around the thimble twice and then back down the main line shaft. Wrap the hair wire for 5/8th" minimum down the clutch of flying line and hair wire then bend the Short line back over the wrappings and wrap once again back over the initial wrappings. Apply two 1/2 hitches at the ends of the wrappings, trim, move your heat shrink up over the assembly and heat with a match or lighter. This is there to hole the wrappings tightly and to keep them from unravelling.

When both lines are tied off, report outside with your 100' steel rule, sink a skinny tool through both eyelets as the rule and roll out to your desired length, kink the lines at the same time, leave about 8 extra inches of line then cut off both line leaving the extra length for your servicing later. Now  reel up the new lines from the existing finished ends onto the new empty spool you gotten to store you new lines! Naturally cut both new lines with sufficient extra length to enable you to finish off the second ends the same way you did the first. Be sure to fit the appropriate color code on the same line! Up to up IE White on white and Red on red. If you forget and switch colors all is not lost! Go to Harbor Freight and buy a package of assorted Larger sized shrink tight material. Work the right color over the finished line to correct the color reversal.

There you have it! As you do more lines you'll have more fun doing this necessary chore. The prettier the wraps get the more satisfied you'll become!

Phil Spillman

Soldering the hair wire and applying epoxy set up different problems later and shorten line life. Solder might corode and also set up stress risers, hard glues do the same thing.

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

Same as Phil, roughly:

1. Tie one end of each line with the 5/8" out and back wrapping, as typical.  No solder or glue.  Myself, no heat shrink, either.  The first line must be cut "wild."  e.g. A little longer than needed.
2. Attach the two lines and the rule to a hard point:  nail, cup hook, small screwdriver, whatever.
3. Roll out the lines and rule. 
4. Cut both lines 3" longer than the goal length.  No need to mark or kink.
5. When making the first 5/8" wrap on each line, fold back the 3"
6. Close enough for me.

[Matt Brown]

As I suspected, I was way too worried about it! I made up a jig and got two sets made for my SV11s then made up four sets with crimps for combat. Was pretty easy and wrapping was easier than I expected albeit a bit slower. It takes me about 10 minutes to wrap and heat shrink each end.

Thank you for the suggestions.
Matt

[bill bischoff]

I used to fly a lot of carrier, and 3 line systems have no provision for line length adjustment other than line clip size. I learned to pre-stretch the lines after making up one of the ends. I never measured the actual change in length, but the first good pull on a new set of lines would mess up the adjustment, necessitating the "clip game". Once I began pre-stretching the lines, all the carefully achieved lengths would remain and I could use all equal length clips.

[Fred Cronenwett]

I had the same problem, I needed a set of lines an exact length for an event that measured the line length from the CL of the handle to the CL of the model. Speed and Carrier do that.

I had a 2nd line tying tool in my shop so I came up with this set of tools.

First I wrap one end of the lines and put it on reel, one end wrapped the other end is not wrapped yet. These units are designed to pinned into the ground with the lines stretched out to the length you desire. Now the length that you measure and cut the lines to are from eyelet to eyelet. You would have to measure your clips, handle distance and the model leadouts from the CL of the model.

[Fred Cronenwett]

Step 1 - put down the tool with the pins for the wrapped ends of the lines, put the lines on the pins and put on the tape measure

[Fred Cronenwett]

Step 2 - Roll out the lines and tape measure to desired length of lines from eyelet to eyelet, pin tool to ground. Put the unwrapped lines thru the block with the line wrapping tool (rubber sheet). Put the eyelet on the pin and wrap the second end of the lines. You are measure from pins to pins on the tools which is the overall length of the lines minus the clip length (2x), handle wires and the model leadouts

Hope this helps, I will be done a video of this process

Fred

[Fred Cronenwett]

Is the tool too complicated, probably but I can make up a set of lines to any length using this. I tried another idea several weeks and completely messed up a set of lines I had to trash. After scraping 120 feet of perfectly good flying line I came up with this. If the two units could be 2 or 3 feet off the ground then it would be ideal and would not have to sit the ground to wrap the 2nd end of the lines.

Fred

[Dan McEntee]

    I make up one end of a set of lines like has already been mentioned, then reel off the approximate length I need plus some excess. I stake the finished ends in the gorund with something sturdy, then lay out my tape measure and get everything pulled up nice and tight with no slack. Then I simply mark the lines with some kind of marker or bright paint at the spot where I am going to put the other eyelet.  Then just carefully align the mark with the eyelet as I wrap up the other end. I have some of the typical fixtures that are available for holding things and use Jim Lee's little spool holder for the wrapping wire. Like anything else, it's just practice to get things down correctly and consistent.
    Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Bob Reeves]

Best thing I found to mark lines with is White-Out from the office supply store. My shop is about 40 feet long. I put a hook at one end and a line reel at the other with painted marks on the floor at several standard line lengths. Have bulk line on two reels, make up one end of both and drop them over hook, run down around the reel at the other end and back to the desired length marks on the floor. Pull both lines tight and mark both with White-Out. Cut a foot or two long then roll up both on one reel starting at the end already made up. When you wrap the other end place the White-Out mark at the top of the eyelet. Lines will be whiten 1/64th of an inch of each other.