Recycling - the truth. Your experience?

[Siam Heli]

It's simple and yet confusing:
There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod one
you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash but
happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids, wife...etc..

So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up things
successfully?

So far I tried my luck on: Fly-bar rods, main shafts, tail shafts and
spindles. It didn't work out in all cases but it did more often than not,
saving me wades of money over time. The only one attempt to straighten out a
bent thread adapter on my carbon tail control rod resulted in disaster
though: In-flight fatigue crack three flights later....

Where are the limits, what's acceptable and what's beyond?

Your personal experience please, NOT common opinion and hearsay!

Martin

[MPA]

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 20:46:43 +0700, "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th>
wrote:

>It's simple and yet confusing:
>There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod one
>you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash but
>happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids, wife...etc..
>
>So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up things
>successfully?

Anything that is hardened, case or flame etc is not a good idea to
straighten IMV.
CF I would put in the categorie of hardened and replace it.
en.
Anything not hardened can usually take a bit of mild straightening
(short of it being so bent it breaks off).
Something plated is ok to the point the plating flakes off then it
becomes junk.
Alloy I'd only straighten one time if I bent it again Id dump it.

Ive straightened flybars as Im sure we all have but not masts for the
above reason so have no experience of doing it and wont have any in
future Ill just bin them when bent.

Dave

[Siam Heli]

Thank you....
However, if you had an Eagle you might rethink. The Eagle (in my case a
heavy gasser) sports a solid stainless mast. It's so soft that a mate of
mine bent it with his bare hands while getting a better grip on it after he
realized his start-up throttle was set just a bit too high.
Nothing hardened there...
I'd concur with the 'once only' policy though.

Martin



"MPA" <mail_me@my_site.com> wrote in message
news:efl23vgj3d9fmed8amhl4q5v38uvlik8tf@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 20:46:43 +0700, "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th>
> wrote:
>
> >It's simple and yet confusing:
> >There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod one
> >you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash but
> >happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids, wife...etc..
> >
> >So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up things
> >successfully?
>
> Anything that is hardened, case or flame etc is not a good idea to
> straighten IMV.
> CF I would put in the categorie of hardened and replace it.
> en.
> Anything not hardened can usually take a bit of mild straightening
> (short of it being so bent it breaks off).
> Something plated is ok to the point the plating flakes off then it
> becomes junk.
> Alloy I'd only straighten one time if I bent it again Id dump it.
>
> Ive straightened flybars as Im sure we all have but not masts for the
> above reason so have no experience of doing it and wont have any in
> future Ill just bin them when bent.
>
> Dave

[Wilbur Wilburforce]

In my situation if anything is slightly bent I dump it. End of story. I dont
have the patience to fuck about straightening things and with my skills I can
never get the part straight enough. For example I've tried some flybars in the
past with average results but for a tenner or whatever a new flybar costs I can
buy a new one. I then know that its dead straight and I dont have to miss out
on quality time that could be spent doing more exciting things than bending a
bent peice of metal back into shape. Trying to bend back spindles and
mainshafts again is IMO pointless...dump the fucking thing in the bin and buy a
new 'un.


Will

[Beav]

"Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
news:b0rg46$a2e$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
> It's simple and yet confusing:
> There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod one
> you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash but
> happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids, wife...etc..
>
> So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up things
> successfully?

I've had years and years of GREAT success. Flybars I RARELY buy, same with
feathering spindles and main shafts. 90% of them will straighten out
perfectly well/
>
> So far I tried my luck on: Fly-bar rods, main shafts, tail shafts and
> spindles. It didn't work out in all cases but it did more often than not,
> saving me wades of money over time. The only one attempt to straighten out
a
> bent thread adapter on my carbon tail control rod resulted in disaster
> though: In-flight fatigue crack three flights later....

Wherever there ARE threads, don't even bother trying for the very reason
you've mentioned. Fatigue. If it's a plain old shaft, then fine, straighten
away. Even of you don't always succeed, you always tried.

>
> Where are the limits, what's acceptable and what's beyond?

In degrees? I've "rescued" main shafts bent WELL over 30 and flybars that
looked exactly like a pretzel.
>
> Your personal experience please, NOT common opinion and hearsay!

ALL personal experience:-)


--
Beav


Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com"
(with the obvious changes)

Beavisland now lives at
www.beavisoriginal.co.uk

[Siam Heli]

Hey hey, THAT's what I wanna hear....!

The issue becomes a serious one if one doesn't live next to a hobby shop. In
my case I have to wait for every tiny bit often as long as three weeks...
Makes one inventive....

Martin



"Beav" <beavis.original@ntloxoworld.com> wrote in message
news:eTkY9.210163$y74.1345410@news.easynews.com...
>
> "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
> news:b0rg46$a2e$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
> > It's simple and yet confusing:
> > There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod one
> > you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash but
> > happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids, wife...etc..
> >
> > So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up things
> > successfully?
>
> I've had years and years of GREAT success. Flybars I RARELY buy, same with
> feathering spindles and main shafts. 90% of them will straighten out
> perfectly well/
> >
> > So far I tried my luck on: Fly-bar rods, main shafts, tail shafts and
> > spindles. It didn't work out in all cases but it did more often than
not,
> > saving me wades of money over time. The only one attempt to straighten
out
> a
> > bent thread adapter on my carbon tail control rod resulted in disaster
> > though: In-flight fatigue crack three flights later....
>
> Wherever there ARE threads, don't even bother trying for the very reason
> you've mentioned. Fatigue. If it's a plain old shaft, then fine,
straighten
> away. Even of you don't always succeed, you always tried.
>
> >
> > Where are the limits, what's acceptable and what's beyond?
>
> In degrees? I've "rescued" main shafts bent WELL over 30 and flybars that
> looked exactly like a pretzel.
> >
> > Your personal experience please, NOT common opinion and hearsay!
>
> ALL personal experience:-)
>
>
> --
> Beav
>
>
> Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com"
> (with the obvious changes)
>
> Beavisland now lives at
> www.beavisoriginal.co.uk
>
>

[MPA]

On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 22:58:48 +0700, "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th>
wrote:

>Thank you....
>However, if you had an Eagle you might rethink. The Eagle (in my case a
>heavy gasser) sports a solid stainless mast. It's so soft that a mate of
>mine bent it with his bare hands while getting a better grip on it after he
>realized his start-up throttle was set just a bit too high.
>Nothing hardened there...
>I'd concur with the 'once only' policy though.

For a mast like the one you describe it doesnt sound hardened so put
that in the soft alloy categorie and yes, straighten once but perhaps
not twice.

[Beav]

"Biggie in PA" <sjg1958@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:PMTY9.272$sf5.220350@monger.newsread.com...
> Anybody to tries to straighten a mast is asking for trouble! It may be
> close, but not perfect.

If you'd measured as many new shafts to find THEY'RE not straight as I have,
you might re-think that thinking Biggie. I've had Schluter shafts as far as
16thou out and I won't say how far out I've had X-cell shafts. Suffice to
say, that a straightened ones ran truer.


--
Beav


Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com"
(with the obvious changes)

Beavisland now lives at
www.beavisoriginal.co.uk

[Carl Farrington]

Surely if you have the proper tools - a dial caliper and two v-blocks, you
can straighten main masts etc near perfectly.

You have the bent bar in the v-blocks, and rest the dial caliper atop then
upon rotation of the part, the dial caliper shows you the degree of
bentness... to like 0.002/inch (I'm a metric person, so this doesn't mean
that much to me, but my understanding is that this is a pretty fine
measurement)

Only concern is that I went into Halfords and picked up a vernier caliper
and the guy said a dial caliper costs hundreds. Not sure how right he was
though. What is the cost of one?

Carl

"Biggie in PA" <sjg1958@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:PMTY9.272$sf5.220350@monger.newsread.com...
> Anybody to tries to straighten a mast is asking for trouble! It may be
> close, but not perfect. This slight imperfection will induce vibration.
> This vibe may not be visible, will definitely cause other problems. As for
> waiting 3 weeks for parts goes, try ordering spares to have on hand...
parts
> like masts, flybars, tail booms, etc... have 1 or 2 on hand to be used
while
> ordering a new one. C'mon guys, think ahead.
>
> --
> Biggie in PA
> sjg1958 at hotmail dot com
> "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
> news:b0sss2$53b$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
> > Hey hey, THAT's what I wanna hear....!
> >
> > The issue becomes a serious one if one doesn't live next to a hobby
shop.
> In
> > my case I have to wait for every tiny bit often as long as three
weeks...
> > Makes one inventive....
> >
> > Martin
> >
> >
> >
> > "Beav" <beavis.original@ntloxoworld.com> wrote in message
> > news:eTkY9.210163$y74.1345410@news.easynews.com...
> > >
> > > "Siam Heli" <econ@loxinfo.co.th> wrote in message
> > > news:b0rg46$a2e$1@news.loxinfo.co.th...
> > > > It's simple and yet confusing:
> > > > There are repeatedly comments that you should buy a new fly-bar rod
> one
> > > > you've managed to bend it. Which doesn't necessarily require a crash
> but
> > > > happens quite regularly through transport, stupidity, kids,
> wife...etc..
> > > >
> > > > So what's the truth - what's your experience with straighten up
things
> > > > successfully?
> > >
> > > I've had years and years of GREAT success. Flybars I RARELY buy, same
> with
> > > feathering spindles and main shafts. 90% of them will straighten out
> > > perfectly well/
> > > >
> > > > So far I tried my luck on: Fly-bar rods, main shafts, tail shafts
and
> > > > spindles. It didn't work out in all cases but it did more often than
> > not,
> > > > saving me wades of money over time. The only one attempt to
straighten
> > out
> > > a
> > > > bent thread adapter on my carbon tail control rod resulted in
disaster
> > > > though: In-flight fatigue crack three flights later....
> > >
> > > Wherever there ARE threads, don't even bother trying for the very
reason
> > > you've mentioned. Fatigue. If it's a plain old shaft, then fine,
> > straighten
> > > away. Even of you don't always succeed, you always tried.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Where are the limits, what's acceptable and what's beyond?
> > >
> > > In degrees? I've "rescued" main shafts bent WELL over 30 and flybars
> that
> > > looked exactly like a pretzel.
> > > >
> > > > Your personal experience please, NOT common opinion and hearsay!
> > >
> > > ALL personal experience:-)
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Beav
> > >
> > >
> > > Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot
> com"
> > > (with the obvious changes)
> > >
> > > Beavisland now lives at
> > > www.beavisoriginal.co.uk
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Stephen]

Beav,

I straighten anything I get my hands on... spindles, masts and flybars. If
the flybar is really bad then I don't bother and sub piano wire. I heat the
tip to remove temper then thread. Sideframes get straightened and reinforced
as needed. This all takes some skill, some time, and is not for people
solely into component replacement. Some people have to have spankin new
stuff..which is fine.

cheers,

stephen
"Beav" <beavis.original@ntloxoworld.com> wrote in message
news:ieYY9.2919$6U3.19640@newsfep4-gui.server.ntli.net...
>
> "Biggie in PA" <sjg1958@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:PMTY9.272$sf5.220350@monger.newsread.com...
> > Anybody to tries to straighten a mast is asking for trouble! It may be
> > close, but not perfect.
>
> If you'd measured as many new shafts to find THEY'RE not straight as I
have,
> you might re-think that thinking Biggie. I've had Schluter shafts as far
as
> 16thou out and I won't say how far out I've had X-cell shafts. Suffice to
> say, that a straightened ones ran truer.
>
>
> --
> Beav
>
>
> Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com"
> (with the obvious changes)
>
> Beavisland now lives at
> www.beavisoriginal.co.uk
>
>

[Wilbur Wilburforce]

I bought mine for £45.

Cant beleive you listened to one of those muppets in Halfords... They're only
marginally more intelligent than an amoeba.
Will

[Carl Farrington]

In case anyone is following this thread, the tool is actually called a 'Dial
Test Indicator', not a Dial Caliper. A Dial Caliper is like a vernier
caliper with a dial on it. This is not what you want for checking bent-ness,
but is used for checking widths of flybars and other stuff.

Dial Test Indicator is what you want, and I'm getting one from
http://www.machinemart.co.uk - Thanks Beav :)

Carl

[Beav]

"Carl Farrington" <carl@000compsup000.net> wrote in message
news:b1en6o$oqq$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk...
> In case anyone is following this thread, the tool is actually called a
'Dial
> Test Indicator', not a Dial Caliper. A Dial Caliper is like a vernier
> caliper with a dial on it. This is not what you want for checking
bent-ness,
> but is used for checking widths of flybars and other stuff.
>
> Dial Test Indicator is what you want, and I'm getting one from
> http://www.machinemart.co.uk - Thanks Beav :)

I've got a few dial gauges Carl (different sizes) and they're cheap as
chips too these days. I've not checked out Machine Lart for those, but if
the prices for their calipers (digital) are anything to go by, they
shouldn't cost the earth.


--
Beav


Please note my E-mail address is "beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com"
(with the obvious changes)

Beavisland now lives at
www.beavisoriginal.co.uk