Building tips and hints

[Av8r3400]

Luckily this is the experimental world.

Phil, if you feel how I have managed the tails of my choke cables on my aircraft to be unsafe and detrimental to the airworthyness of my plane, I truly respect your opinion and experience.

However, I choose to disagree. This choke cable is expensive. The virtually brand new one that was on my plane was frayed beyond use, because it was cut and managed as specified in AC43.13-1B. Time will tell how this new one survives. I am betting on the idea that this technique will work much better for the small wire diameter cable that I used in this application.

If we were talking about flight control surface cables, I would be far more agreeable to your position and cited regulations.

[HighWing]

Interesting topic. My opinion given our airplanes is that the technique has merit especially when considering the application. I personally wouldn't be too concerned even in the flight control cables, though I would most likely leave a pigtail an inch or so long under some heat shrink tubing. Just checked the rated strength of the cable sold by ACS. - 3/32" used on the Model IV and earlier - 920. The 1/8 used on the later models - 2000. Lets see, doing a squat against my Model IV rudder cables, That's only 1840 lbs. At my age squatting my body weight can sometimes be a challenge - though the rudder deflection always seems fine.

[PapuaPilot]

I don't have a problem doing this on a choke cable, as is will not make the plane in an unsafe condition for flight (AE-B aircraft aren't ever legally airworthy). If you get the engine started and warmed up that's good enough.

My concern lies with people that take this idea and apply it to flight control cables. This isn't about my opinion, but rather helping people understand what the FAA or manufacture's standards are. There is difference between doing something out of ignorance verses knowing it isn't being done to the FAA/industry standard.

[David47]

I'm interested in why you say that. Surely heating the metal to red hot and then letting it cool afterwards is the same as annealing, which I understand makes metal stronger. I'd like to know why this process would prove to be the opposite.

I'm with Phil and John E on this. Simply heating a metal to anneal it reduces whatever strength the material had. The way strength is increased is by controlled temperature levels for set times followed by set cooling rates, then for some metals, quenching in either oil or water. For aluminium alloys, additional cold working such as stretching is also done for some strength tempers. So I agree with Phil. There are a lot of myths out there about strengthening metals. Having waffled on about this though, if the heat affected zone of the choke or throttle cable cable is beyond the clamped area, all good. For flight control cables, I think the AC43 reference quoted in Phil's response is pretty clear in order for best practice. However, if you do cut cable by this heating method, I'd leave a good 1" or more under the shrink sleeve as suggested by Lowell. For my build, I just wrapped the cable with a strong tape and then cut it with a good quality cable cutter. No fraying issues.

[Flybyjim]

I am glad to see most of you agree with my earlier post. My opinion in building planes: if you are willing to spend the $$$ for a kit and engine and instruments than purchase the correct tool for the job. When your build is finished you can sell the tools or better yet donate them to an EAA club, who knows perhaps you could also borrow the needed tools.

[Shadowrider]

What is the recommended cutting tool for control cables? Link?

[Clark in AZ]

This is what I have...



https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-95-62-...re+rope+cutter

[Shadowrider]

This is what I have...



https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-95-62-...re+rope+cutter

Thank you!

[aviator79]

I live in a small mountain town without ready access to big-box hardware store, so I order a lot from Amazon. Here is a selection of things from my order history that I was either glad to have purchased in advance, or wish I had purchased in advance. I can add stuff if anyone has more recommendations, but this isn't a bad starting point for a new builder getting a shop ready.

Kitfox Shopping List

[mscotter]

I have used this technique for prepping a cable in another application, and another nice feature of it is that the end of the cable is fused together, i.e. it won't fray and let the individual strands come apart. I'm with Larry, for a choke cable this should be fine, and it's a nice little technique to have in your toolbox.