I've recently got some of the Bob Selman actuators - what the best way of connecting these to the control surface & what sort of linkage should I be using?

I've made a couple of home brew attempts - but I'm not really happy with it yet.

Any info greatly appreciated - photo's even more so

Cheers

Soundman

Here is the way I do it. I think this is the way Bob had intended it. Use brass wire that comes with actuators for actuator end. Cut shrink tubing into 4 pcs. Make push rod out of appropriate length .020 or .030 carbon rod. I bend a piece of .020 piano wire for control surface end just like the brass .020 wire. slide pieces together and shrink. You don't have to use any adhesive if you don't want to the friction will hold it fine. I use the Dubro micro control horns and then cut them down to the first hole. Then drill new .020 hole just behind it.

other end

Here's an alternative to the 'other end'. I make a figure '4' out of guitar string (~.014" works fine), and attach it with the same heat shrink as Dan mentioned. The difference is that you can pop the keeper over the horn and remove the 90* bend from the hole so you can take them off, or more importantly, put them on after the surfaces are glued in place. Sorry the picture isn't sharper...

Thanks guys, that's a little easier than how I've been doing it

With the heatshrink used to join the links, are you able to slide them through the heat shrink to adjust the length?

Thanks again

Soundman

Yes, even after you shrink the tubing, it is possible to slide the components around. Once you have found the correct length, a touch of CA locks it all down permanently.