> Hobby-Lobby has these histart tubing connectors that come in several sizes, > come with rings, look like a good companion to the hosemonster tubing. Myself, > I wet a suitably sized piece of wooden dowel, jam that into the rubber end, > and it clamps on like the old Chinese finger prison puzzle.
I responded to someone about the Hobby Lobby connectors earlier today, they are really a nice bit of CNC machining, but here is the what I wrote earlier: The best way to connect rubber is with a smooth shaft that is more than 3 times the diameter of the ID of the tubing. (Think about a wrist rocket slingshot with the stretched rubber aimed at your eye!) The most important part of the connector is where the tubing constricts over the end of the connector shaft. The end of the shaft needs to be rounded so the tubing doesn't chafe itself at the end of the connector. This is still the spot that eventually wears through. I have gone a step further with the connector. I make them out of a semi flexible plastic with a highly tapered end. They aren't as high tech as the hobby lobby connectors, but they are better. I have never had one fail, the tubing will start to fail before the connector and you just cut the end off and re-install the connector. They are also the lightest connector, so they don't add any more mass to your launch. (not that this really matters).... I have also recently had new parachutes made to my specs. They are heavy duty screaming orange rip stop with 3/8" black nylon webbing risers sewn all the way over the crown. They come with a # 10 SS split ring rated at 210lbs and a black 225lb. snap swivel. The ring is only 5/8" dia., weighs about 2 grams and releases easily from any tow hook I have seen. The chute is 18" in diameter and does a better job of bringing the line back. Mark Mech www.aerofoam.com RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
