CONNECTING BOWDEN CABLE HOUSINGS?

[EDMO 1078]

I think most everyone knows what a Bowden cable housing is -

My question: If you want the housing, not the wire, as two pieces joined together, how do you join them?

I am thinking about making my trim cable in two pieces for easier assembly of the elevator to the fuselage.

EDMO

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi Ed, I imagine a piece of tube that the cables fits snug into would line them up so they would work as one cable. the question then it how do you keep them from sliding out of the tube? First thought is a hole drilled near each end of the tube, a small nut welded over the hole, and then a screw is tightened into the nut which would put pressure on the cable to keep it from moving. That's a "first" thought though, and I haven't finished my first cup of coffee yet this morning... It's funny that you bring up the Bowden cable topic. Just last night I was looking on the web to see where I could buy a new Bowden cable for my Avid rebuild. Couldn't find any. Who has it? My trim cable is about 15' long. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Jim

Spruce has the Bowden cable - probably Wicks, Wag, and others. I thought about a rubber or plastic tube or clamp to keep the housing ends lined up - a clamp near each end should keep them from spreading apart - of course, there are many clamps all thru the length of the housing to keep it from moving.

I didn't know if anyone makes a connector just for the housings.

Thanks,

EDMO

There are two sizes of cable / wire - I think the heavier wire is .078, but haven't looked for a while, and only on 2nd cup of coffee. Going back to bed - only slept 4 hours.

Edited 6 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[dholly 718]

Confused here Ed. Are you trying to secure two cables running parallel to each other for redundancy if one breaks or something?

[EDMO 1078]

Doug,

I want the housing to be in two parts in series for easier assembly (one continuous wire)

EDMO

[Av8r3400 1179]

Why?

[EDMO 1078]

To make tail assembly easier and to keep from running cable outside of elevator and to keep from hiring midget to thread it thru the fuselage?

Once the elevator is covered, there is no way to run the cable housing thru it and clamp it on the inside.

EDMO

Edited 7 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[Av8r3400 1179]

Run and secure it before covering. My plane looks like a spilled bowl of spaghetti right now.

If it's really absolute that there needs to be a joint, you'll have to use something like a bellcrank or something to terminate one cable and start the next...

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi Ed, I think you wanted to see pictures of how my trim cable was run, so I got a couple for you yesterday. Didn't have the elevator handy, but the cable is outside the fabric on the elevator where it goes to the trim tab. I'm sure there is a bit of drag from that, but it's easy to thread the cable through the holders. Enjoy, Jim Chuk

Edited 8 Mar 2015 by Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Thanx for the photos Jim,

I was wondering about clamping an aluminum tube inside the fuselage and running my cable thru that - My elevator / HS set a lot lower than your Avid. Running the cable outside of the elevator looks like the easiest too for replacement.

EDMO

I thought drag was a good thing - helps you get stopped quicker!

Edited 8 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

Funny you should mention an aluminum tube, that's what I'm thinking about for a conduit for my battery cables and any other wires going back to the tail area. I'm trying to remember what I told TJay about if it falls to the floor if you let go of a not absolutely essential part, don't put it in..... Right now I'm thinking about taking an 8' long florescent light bulb, and wrapping it with a layer of fiberglass, then slitting the fiberglass after it hardens up to get it off the tube, then patching the cut. Hard to get much lighter than that with what I have on hand..... This is going to be a long project, and it will still end up too heavy! Some times I let my mind wander way to far without adult supervision. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Jim,

I've done a lot of fiberglas work - I wouldn't use a light tube - had too much fg stick to mold - a thin electrical conduit or PVC pipe would be safer to use. Wouldn't want glass particles stuck to fg..Put 3 times as much wax on the mold as you think you need.

There used to be fg tubes you could buy - forget where...

EDMO

Edited 9 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

My mind wondered off in a different direction, I'm thinking I will use a piece of 1/2" pvc or aluminum pipe, tie the battery cables to the outside of it, and use it for a conduit for tail light wire and if I ever put electric trim on I can snake those wires down inside the tube. I want the battery cables supported better than just tieing them to the cross tubes where they will drape down onto the fabric between the tubes. Jim Chuk

[EDMO 1078]

Plastic is better - aluminum or steel cause shorts! Thinwall PVC probably don't weigh much more than fiberglass,

ED

Edited 9 Mar 2015 by Ed In Missouri