(just thought of this!) ...I suppose it would be possible to solder a screw in one end of the thin tube and a short length of 11BA screw in the other (with the head cut off) and use an 11BA nut and washer on it to simulate a long bolt, might keep the cost down a bit...

Quote from: mjt60a on January 27, 2010, 06:39:41 AM
Very long 11BA bolts would fit all the way through the inner piece and could be tightened against it without interfering with movement but I don't know if such a thing is available or how much it would cost....

Hi Mick,
Wheels are coming together nicely.
If it helps  - when i was doing my research the best i could find was m2 threaded rod in nylon or steel.
When i asked a manufacturer if they would turn me a smaller dia threaded rod he laughed and quoted me something ridiculous. In the end i used 12ba screws and nuts...
Regards,
Kim

Never thought of nylon, that would work OK and wouldn't corrode at all. Strength isn't an issue as it's just to stop the tube drifting out of the bearing... I'll have to look into that, thanks 

What about servo pushrods?

2mm dia, about 10"-12" long, sadly only threaded on one end..... But, cut to length with the unthreaded end bent at 90 degrees to lock it in place, and then a nut on the outer end (where it can be seen).

The rods are made from hardened "piano wire", so the bent end would be fairly resistant to pulling straight again......

http://balsamart.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207&products_id=1252

Just an idea...

Eddy

maybe, it'll be worth looking into....
....or I could get a set of these - http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/SCT1MM.jpg

Our very own talisman (Clyde model boats) and Squires tools sell individual taps and dies.
Running a thread onto 2mm brass is very easy. I thread all my own rod and have never had a problem. (make sure if you buy a die that it is a split die designed to cut a thread from scratch and NOT a die intended to clean up a damaged thread. These are often sold as 'die sets' but are virtually useless)

Just my 2 pennorth!

All the best

stuart

Quote from: Stuart Badger on January 28, 2010, 06:28:32 AM
Our very own talisman (Clyde model boats) and Squires tools sell individual taps and dies.
Running a thread onto 2mm brass is very easy. I thread all my own rod and have never had a problem. (make sure if you buy a die that it is a split die designed to cut a thread from scratch and NOT a die intended to clean up a damaged thread. These are often sold as 'die sets' but are virtually useless)
Just my 2 pennorth!
All the best
stuart

"The rods are made from hardened "piano wire", This is a far way from Brass and rates about the same as Stainless Steel for machining.
The rule is "If you can file a flat on the material you can thread it." Music Wire is as hard as the steel in the dies and will soon dull them.  I had a fellow modeler ask me to thread a 2mm shaft, he said he would pay costs, and was supprized when I billed him for a new Die., I did give him the old dull one which I had used twice, once to thread a brass rod and once to thread his shaft.
Regards,
Gerald.

Hi Pd's........I am pretty sure all of the Dubro type product threads on small controll linkage & the like are rolled threads ....& not cut by conventional cutting tools

The process of rolling threads as opposed to cutting theads produces far greater mechanical strength 

I attempted to screw cut a 10 BA thread on a short section of 1.6 mm dia phosphor bronze with a split tapered die & followed up with a parallel die nut.....needless to say I failed.........it's OK to tap a 10 BA female thread form & then use pre machined 10 BA brass threaded screws ............Derek

I never suggested putting a thread on piano wire - The ORIGINAL idea was to use brass.

Stuart

Quote from: Stuart Badger on January 28, 2010, 06:21:04 PM
I never suggested putting a thread on piano wire - The ORIGINAL idea was to use brass.

Stuart

Sorry, I got the threading piano wire from Eddy's post " The rods are made from hardened "piano wire" Brass certainly is much easier to thread.
Regards,
Gerald.

I've completed one of the wheels (frames, not the feathering bits yet) and painted it... the other I stripped down and started again, decided after a little check that a couple of the 'minor discrepancies' would actually be big enough to prevent it working 
this was the first one I assembled and didn't have a clear idea about what was needed, any errors were minimised/removed in the following products. It was quite strong as it turned out, and I had to cut the spokes either side of the rims (which I wanted to keep as all were made with the compass cutter on the same setting) and sand away the part of the spoke that was stuck to the rims. I already had some spare centres, meant for the 'star centre' in the feathering gear but can just make another set when I need them...

That's a very fine looking wheel Mick. I look forward to seeing the flippy floppy wet rectangular bits.

All the best

Stuart

Very nice wheel 

Thanks, I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out. I've rebuilt the faulty one with new spokes and it's fine now, just have to fit the tubes then it can be painted, hopefully I'll start making the moving parts at the weekend 

Well, I finished and painted the other wheel but as it's identical to the first one I didn't take a picture. Also cut the lengths of brass rod for the half shafts (and a bit for the rudder), they are the same diameter as meccano shaft but shouldn't rust! This is so I could use meccano collets and pulleys that I bought on ebay.  Have now started on the moving parts...
...I thought it'd be possible to make them all from a fairly small piece of styrene, with a bit of thought, so drew a rough diagram on the back of an envelope. Then marked out and started drilling the styrene...