Linkage Stopper and Push Rod Issues

[evan]

I've done as much research I can with forum searching, but I just wanted to get a solid answer. Do most of you end up having to drill out your linkage stoppers and/or servo horns and/or control surface horns in order to hook up your servo-pushrod set up?

I have both the landscaping flags (which come in at about 1.8-1.9 mm) and the .047" piano wire (1.194 mm). Both of these are too big for the linkage stoppers that come with the LazerToyz FT Swappable components package, despite .047" being the official FT recommended push rod size (see here. I also see that within the last month or so, they've changed from advertising LazerToyz on that page to Uplifting Hobbies. I had some other issues with the LazerToyz package, was it a quality issue?). Additionally, neither size wire, nor the DuBro EZ connectors I got (which fit both wire sizes), nor even the linkage stoppers that came with the kit, nothing fits into the servo horns. So it seems that no matter what I figure out with the linkage stoppers, I'll have to drill out the servo horns. Is that common?

Any tips for a straightforward way of setting up pushrods with having to drill everything out? I'm skeptical of going any smaller than .047" wire, it's already a little more flexible than I'd like, and I'd really prefer to use to larger diameter flags.

And while I'm at it, how is everyone cutting these hardened steel wires? Elsewhere online I've seen everything from bolt-cutters to a Dremel with a metal cutting wheel.

 

[RAM]

You could tie in a smaller diameter wire at the ends of your larger diameter wire to make the connections. Hard to explain but imagine taking a knife and making it into a spear You just wrap some thread around the two wires and add some CA or other glue to make it permanent.

 

[BridgeInspector]

Yes it is common to enlarge the holes on the control horns. So make sure you don't pick the one near the end to enlarge as there will not be much material left around the hole.
I commonly use an exacto blade and scrape material out from both sides of the hole, test fitting often for snug and not sloppy.

I use and old pair of tin snips on the heavy gauge wire, or old pair of needle nose with cutter for smaller gauge. Notice the"old", as the wire can tend leave dents in the tools.

 

[jetpackninja]

The dremel cutoff wheel is what I use most often.
If it's not handy I use a leatherman.
Wire cutters are too soft.

I will either use a 1/16th drill to enlarge the hole in the horn or I have often heated an old piece of control rod with a lighter and pushed it through to enlarge the hole

 

[RAM]

found it!

 

[RAM]

another one

 

[Ron B]

control horns and servo arms are usually enlarged but I have had no problem with my linkage stoppers but they are Dubro's and will handle 1.8 but that is about the limit as if there is a burr on the end it needs to be removed to fit.

 

[evan]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. At some point I really would like to try a stiff control rod set up, probably with skewers. I'm a little skeptical about the solidness of a heat shrink connection, but I guess on foam planes it's probably not a big deal.

And yeah Ron, the Dubro's are pretty high quality and fit everything, i'll probably end up sticking with them.

 

[TTMR]

No reason you couldn't CA the connection before heat shrinking it.

 

[evan]

I guess that's true, good call!