Foxfan

I find those red plastic ends are never in the orientation you want them to be just as you're about to use them, but generally they are a useful adjunct and I have boxes full of different sizes. I used them all up building a model of a boat I used to live on. Made of mahogany planks cut from an old dining chair my grandad made as a set of four. My daughter still has the table he made them to go with, but the chair joints failed in central heating, which Hide glue hates. M

Despite the fact that i make brass master patterns for white metal casting, I tend to use a variety of torches because I hate soldering irons and rarely have success with them, so I wouldn't go anywhere near a servo with one! But locking with 5 minute epoxy I can deal with. I've used brass wire for the very short pushrods on my Spitfire's ailerons because a) I had plenty and b) i can bend it into Z which , at a slight angle, take up any slop and easily file a flat for the screw to bear down on. Still awaiting the Rx. and servo tester so still can't centre them yet. Martin

Martin, why is an indoor model less a problem if lost than an outdoor? It seems to me that some sort of locking substance is what everybody uses. I have put this question elsewhere and got a large response from people using them and having no problems if a locking liquid is used, so I shall carry on with mine and lock the rod screws too, once I have the Rx. and battery, which are on order. I still need to centre the servos, before tightening up. Meanwhile, I still can't get to the flying field thanks to a mudbath for an access track. That's 4 months of my subs that have so far been wasted! I can easily see that becoming half a year. More food for thought. Thanks to all for your help and advice. Martin

I think my connectors are M2, but I'd need to check. I have a servo tester coming, so I can centre them before tightening everything up. Martin

Thanks, Denis. Martin

Are they easily available?

I like the idea of the starlock washers. But if I do end up[ using these I will definitely grind a flat on the rod under the rod clamp screw. Martin

Hmmm, I'm not much fussed about z bends either! The more I think about it...I shall go to clevises and swing keepers I think. With threaded rods instead of piano wire. Martin

That's what I was a little concerned about. I would say it would be more misuse than design, though the lack of any means to lock the thing surprises me. As does Flite Test's constant use of them. Martin

A bet? About what, Mike? The threads on mine are long enough for two ordinary nuts, so should be fine for Nylocs, if I can find what thread they are. The wire is piano wire, so nothing will self flat onto that. I may change to clevises and threaded rods. I was keen to get something working, but as I don't have my Rx in there yet I can't play with anything. But clevises with a thread in seem to work best and these connectors are a pain to get installed. Martin

I imagine they could be, but I just like the adjustability and where the pushrods are not threaded, these are the only answer for adjustability. Do you know which metric thread they are, by any chance? But I guess superglue is the answer, although I ain't a fan of that very much. Flite Test use them on everything, but don't go into how to keep them moving with just one nut. I've ordered a large bag of em from Banggood to give me some spare nuts to use as locknuts, but then I'll soon run out again, so I need to know what thread they are and see if I can get some Nylocs. M

Steven, that M2 might be the answer. I'm not sure what thread these things are, but probably metric. I'll look into a supply this side of the pond, thanks. Martin

I had considered that, Mike. I don';t have Loctite as such, but have superglues of various sorts. I'm wondering whether I should grind a flat on the rod that the screw closes against, like I do on my slot car wheels and gears. Martin

Hello all, I am just connecting up my control surfaces on the Flite Test Spitfire and am using the cylindrical connectors, but it seems to me there's nothing allowing free movement if you do 'em up tight and they don't come with 2 nuts to effectively lock nut them on, so how do people use them in servo arms and ensure the nuts don't come off, but have a free movement? Cheers, Martin

Does it put a skin on like epoxy, Bruce? Martin

Thanks, Ron, worth a try for sure. Martin

Do you find it takes ages to go off. That's what I've found with water based treatments. PVA glue and other water based...varnishes, etc. Martin

Thanks, Ron I might try that when I do my Depron Vulcan. I have some Ronseal varnish, that, like Vallejo, is a milky colour in the tin, would that be the same kind of stuff? It's water based. Martin

That's interesting Ron, as it seems to go along with the people who use what they call Polycrylic by Minwax. I think perhaps any polyurethane finish will act as a barrier. Do you use the Wilco varnish as a laminator for the light weight glass cloth instead of polyester or epoxy? Cheers, Martin

When I went to an indoor do that our club organises it was all the same stuff. Gossamer winged insect-like things, that bear little similarity to aeroplanes, but my friend goes to watch one in Norwich and a chap there had a Puss Moth flying. Very nice. Martin

Interesting. I'm not sure what a polyester finish is as it sounds like it would go through foam in a moment, like polyester based GRP. I've had that happen before, quicker than epoxy. I have now given in and hit the Humbrol for the silver bits. I wanted to do it all in silver so that the yellow zinc chromate would show a little metallic edge like anodizing, but without a good supply of the paint (which a Humbrol tinlet isn't!) I have had to just do the silver parts. I've now done the port side of the fuzz. with yellow and marked on panel lines and am now touching in separate panels with different shades of greenish yellow with a slight metallic haze on the lighter one, using Vallejo silver which is seriously dull! I'll have to go and beg some vinyl in the right colours from the local car skinz guy for home made roundels. Letters and numbers I'll hand paint. We get there in the end, but I have wasted a lot of money on stuff that just hasn't worked. I can use some of them on slot cars and I'm sure my granddaughter would love a silver wall in her bedroom! Martin

Evilc, I need some semblance of aluminium for the Spitfire, so artist's acrylic won;'t do and many find it flakes off after a while. I can quite see why people stay with balsa, sealed with cellulose sanding sealer or dope and then painted with whatever the hell you like. Martin

Well, I just tried the metallic emulsion and it would NOT cover, even with a sable brush. Then I tried thinning it with water, obviously and it sprayed well enough, but then the elevator broke through my carelessness and flopped over onto the rudder to which it stuck and pulled all the paint off the surface of the Foamboard as a thin plastic skin. 15 quid wasted. And now if and when it ever dries I have to install hinges, because it's softened and destroyed the paper "hinges". My son has picked up a can of Rustoleum from Boyes for £6 a can, whereas B&Q want a usurious £11 for the same can. Even though it says "contains acetone", for 6 quid I'll try it as the Youtube man uses Rustoleum on his foam models saying don't spray it too wet. The only other suggestion is to use something called Minwax Polycrylic as a sealer, but it's frighteningly expensive and only comes in large cans. I have some polyurethane varnish which I believe some use as a fuel proofer. I would try that and maybe the foam problems would be over, albeit at a weight penalty, but I imagine the model is specced to have plenty of power. My FT Pietenpol will go straight up with no complaint! Martin

Oh, absolutely. I quite get your point and I'm sure I could re-section that fuselage to make it more realistic. I have those plans already, so maybe I should have another look at them. Still trying to get some silver paint that doesn't eat foam and have just come back from B&Q with some ruinously expensive metallic emulsion! Had to buy the pot as they don't do tasters. If this don't work, I will give up on foam and let my granddaughter have the paint for her bedroom! Martin

Mark, that looks very promising and all hand drawn, so refreshing! Yes, I'd be very interested when you can send copies of drawings. I'm having so much trouble finding paint that won't eat my foam FT Spitfire, I might have to return to balsa, much as I hate the stuff. (When you've made model boats from rare and beautiful hardwoods that you work with metalworking tools, balsa is almost unconcionable!) EvilC57, I really couldn't do that Vulcan with the fuselage looking like an Antonov of some sort, but the wing might be doable with a seriously modified fuselage. So far, I'm tending towards the balsa one! Martin