Hatz Biplane Association

Good day gents,

When preparing and painting your drag/anti-drag wires, did you sandblast and paint the threads? So far I've found that painting mucks up close-tolerance fits, and paint seems to chip off in those circumstances anyway. However once threaded, they should be safe from corrosion, no?

Interested to hear thoughts and experience on this.

Thanks

Nick

What would be the problem with using stainless steel material? Wouldn't have to paint them.

George

I guess the main problem would be that I've already purchased the material and fabricated the pieces.

...so do most of you guy use stainless for your drag/antidrag wires? I've heard it's more difficult to work stainless.

Nick

I guess I'm lucky at "finding" stuff----found some SS rod just the right diameter to roll a 1/4 -28 thread onto.

Then I found a hollow tool with 3 adjustable blades that can be slipped over the threaded end of the rod and slowly
reduce diameter of the rod while you turn it down to slightly above the root diameter---this makes the rod stretch
in the major portion of the center of the rod---NOT in the smaller diameter THREAD that will stress crack in a hurry.

Turn slowly, use lots of coolant/lubricant--SS generates a LOT of heat when cutting/working.

Jerry

Jerry
Is this a thread roller? What is the brand name?
Thanks,
George

No, I've found an outfit in DFW that rolls the threads--(when I get my flying wires laid out ) which will probably change the
length of 4 sets of drag wires. I cannot remember the name of the cutter--I'll look at the name on the blades-( found 2~3 sets on ebay after I bought the tool) --Jerry

Well I've decided to ditch the steel 4130 rod and go for stainless. Just seems to make more sense.
Thanks for the comments everybody.

Nick

Howdy folks,

Here are a couple of pix of the Genese Adjustable Hollow Mill----Used for turning down the central portion of
drag wires in the wings.--Moves the highest stress location to a longer section of the rod, instead of in the root of the thread.

You should leave a little oversize, and then polish on buffing wheels to remove any machine marks. Jerry

Good evening gents,

Stainless steel rods are threading like butter using a die holder in my Taig microlathe. Next question, wire length. The plans call for the drag/antidrag wires to be 40" pin to pin including clevis ends. To me that looks to be about 39" of rod. Can anyone confirm or correct this?

Thanks

Nick

Nick,

I just measured a Bruntons-made drag wire. 38-1/2" long. Each end is threaded 2-1/8".

-Scott