Control Line Handles?
 

I have been looking for a good, adjustable control line handle....something like the old Sullivan (I think) red plastic handles from the 50's and 60's. I found a link to Edom Enterprises and a stunt handle, but the link is no longer valid.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ron

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Ron,

The red handle you remember was the Perfect Hot Rock, unfortunately nolonger made. Tom Morris has nice handle kits for $5 a piece or 5 for $20. They don't have the slide adjustment, but they are adjustable. I have them dedicated to each model so I don't have to adjust from plane to plane.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Randy,
Might you mean the old Phil-Leys E-Z Just? I still have a well used Hot-Rock and a relatively unused large E-Z Just.
From what I understand someone electrocuted himself by flying into power lines, and his family sued the handle company (and probably others). They were awarded a HUGE sum which I understand broke the back of the company.
Perhaps someone knows more accurate details.

George

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Yep, the E-Z-Just is the handle I remember well......just didn't remember the name of it, which is an unfortunate side effect of the "Golden Years".

While digging through a box of old C/L "stuff" last night, I found an adjustable handle that I don't recall using. The construction is all metal, with wood grips. The adjustable part is in front of the grips...a little awkward, but I'll give it a try.

Thanks for the info on my favorite handle.....the E-Z-Just. Sorry to hear that it's no longer available.

Ron

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

George,

You're absolutely correct.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

All:

Here's my favorite handle in the first picture. I've had it so long I have absolutely no idea what brand it is, but it has a sticker warning about flying within 200 feet of a power line.

Second picture is my E-Z-JUST which was never all that easy to adjust, in my opinion.

Also have a "Hot-Rock" squirrelled away, and a genuine Jim Walker "U-Reely" in hiding.

Bill.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Your first handle is a Fox handle. A fine handle for racing.

Jim

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Jim:

That handle is from the Dirty Duke? Wish you hadn't told me, now I'll have to throw it out.

Haw.

One of the nice things about it is having four holes for the leads, they can be set on three different spacings to vary the sensitivity. But even the widest spacing is still a full inch narrower than the E-Z-JUST spacimg, and at its closest it's about an inch narrower than the Hot-Rock.

Bill.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

The E-Z-Just came in two widths. The one in your pic looks like the big one. The two I have are the shorter ones that are only about a 4 inch spacing in the U. It's a tight fit for a big hand. These narrower ones are the favourite for combat flying here in this area. I don't think the fast guys use anything like these any more as the pull on the lines can bust the plastic and let the cable garrote your fingers (can you say "very messy"?) but for our local diesel event they work great.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Bruce:

The narrow E-Z-Just was labeled "Hot-Rock," that's the one I mentioned in my earlier post.

The one in my picture is the large E-Z-Just, its line spacing is 5 inches. The Fox (?) handle I showed is adjustable to 4", 3 1/2", or 3" spacing.

Bill.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Don't feel like the lone stranger, Kitty.
Have 2 bakelite, one later plastic U-Reelys. What I learned to fly with and still use.
Also 2 of the ThimbleDrome Reel handles for 1\2a dacron.

:D:D:D

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

Intresting about the Dirty Duke comment. Though that that incedent was never substantiated, but persists because Duke settled out of court?

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

My calling him "Dirty Duke" has nothing to do with the rumors of his being a pederast. I just didn't like him.

Bill.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

It wasn't "settled out of court", worse luck. I had met the old man a good many times beginning from about 1966, but I wouldn't have said we were "friends" before the unhappy revelations. I almost always have liked his Fox 35, 3-Bolt 25's, and did like the 36X-BB's, the Mark III & IV Combat Specials, and the Mark VI's, and I bought a lot of those right out of the trunk of one or another of his Lincolns at various contests. He has been dead quite a few years now, and I really did like Betty Fox a great deal, so I'd rather leave well enough alone in the open public forum in respect for her. (Yes, I know she's passed on as well.)

I do know as much about his case as most any other modelling folks, for back-channel eMail if anyone insists they have to know.

The Fox handle was slightly heavy, has a lot too much overhang, and I liked using them myself. But other folks wanted mine enough that both were stolen from my pit boxes over the years since they were available (not made for very long, a couple of years or so at the end of the 1970's or start of the 1980's). The Aldrich "Magnum" remains my all-time favorite general purpose flying handle, and every time I pick mine up these days I'm glad I got the spares that John sent me (thanks once again if you're reading this!)

I think I will "bite the bullet" and order one of the fancy modern Hot Rocks from Japan c/o Tom Dixon . . come in three sizes now.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

For sport and stunt, the handles from Tom Morris are pretty good. I like mine.

Fox: I've liked Fox engines and plugs for quite a while, also like the 4-way wrench. Did not try the handle.
As far as the man, I never met him. I remember he and John Brodbeck (K&B) used to repair (and sometimes replace) engines at the Nats...even if it wasn't their brand if they had the parts...all for free. I remember GMA referred to him as somewhat of a taskmaster at the Fox factory. I remember he knew his engines and props well. I enjoyed reading Duke's Mixture in the model mags.
I knew nothing about his personal life...and would rather remember him for the positive things.

George

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

George:

You mentioned Johnny Brodbeck. He was (is) a really nice person. And I got a lot of free K&B engine service from him at the Nats.

I don't remember Duke Fox ever doing any service at the Nats for no cost.

Bill.

RE: Control Line Handles?
 

You may be correct. My information is from reading in the model mags way back when.

I think I remember reading that the free service went away when guys started saving their worn out engines to get fixed at the Nats whether they were using them for competition or not.

George