I've been looking online for something to control the flaps on my current build and haven't found exactly what I need. It needs to have an offset to allow for clearance.

The Sig SH-555 setup in the pic below is pretty close, but I need it to have the torque rods rotating through a tube such as those on strip aileron torque rods. The Sig version does come in either 4 or 5 inch spread with either left or right offsets, but no torque tube.

Suggestions?

If what you've pictured is acceptable to you, then I would look for a plastic tube with an ID that fit the OD of the wire; minimum slop. Then I would slit the plastic tube, nice and straight, with a razor blade and force the wire into the lengths of plastic tube required for gluing in place. I would cover the slit in the tube with a thin strip of magic tape to prevent glue from entering the slit.

Originally Posted by David A Ramsey

If what you've pictured is acceptable to you, then I would look for a plastic tube with an ID that fit the OD of the wire; minimum slop. Then I would slit the plastic tube, nice and straight, with a razor blade and force the wire into the lengths of plastic tube required for gluing in place. I would cover the slit in the tube with a thin strip of magic tape to prevent glue from entering the slit.

I don't actually have that unit, but have found it for sale online. There are no specs telling me the wire diameter, etc. And before I plop down $15 for the part with shipping, I was hoping to find something suitable that wasn't so expensive.

Still hoping folks can recommend some alternatives!

That flap system won't have much of a load on it...I believe you can take a piece of 4-40 wire (3/32"), and a couple of pieces of tubing,and make your own.A 3/32" nose wheel steering arm,installed along with the tubing,then making the bends will give you the same result.-for a couple of bucks.

1/16 " music wire will work, if you want strength,but I don't know of that small a steering arm.
I like your drawings.

Lightly coat the wire with engine oil. Epoxy (mixed with micro balloons) it in place on each side. The coating of oil will allow the joiner wire to break loose and rotate once the epoxy is cured .

Originally Posted by epoxyearl

That flap system won't have much of a load on it...I believe you can take a piece of 4-40 wire (3/32"), and a couple of pieces of tubing,and make your own.A 3/32" nose wheel steering arm,installed along with the tubing,then making the bends will give you the same result.-for a couple of bucks.

1/16 " music wire will work, if you want strength,but I don't know of that small a steering arm.
I like your drawings.

Thanks EE, that's exactly what I was looking for. I did some searching for steering arms and came up with plenty of those plus some leads into just using a wheel collar with a threaded rod. Duh. So simple. Yes, I'll bend my own.

Dang, a fella takes a couple of decades off from building and forgets the simple stuff! Man, that's a long time though!

@lindart - yah... I DID remember that trick from my prior days.

Continuing to clear the cobwebs here!

Thanks all.

Got it!

I cut one arm off of a servo arm, drilled a hole for the grub screw and inserted a 1/16" wheel collar into the arm hole. I left the grub screw hole undersized and actually threaded the screw into the plastic in addition to driving it into the wheel collar. Simple and dirt cheap.

Thanks again everyone.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Well done.

You might want to file a very slight 'flat' where the grub screw touches the wire....

Originally Posted by lindart

You might want to file a very slight 'flat' where the grub screw touches the wire....

Good point!
Or-remove the set screw and arm,solder the collar in place, then reassemble it.

Yep, when I get to the point where I'm actually constructing the wing and bending the wire to fit, I'll grind a flat on the wire once the final position is established. Was thinking that I'd epoxy the arm to the collar but soldering the collar to the wire sounds like a solid approach. I'll do that as well!

Thanks again, ya'll.