Where can a person get different length standoffs? Or, is there a material or some type of tubing that one can use or cut to use to make your own standoff lengths? All replies appreciated.
Thanks!

Go to your local hardware store and purchase 1/2 inch diameter nylon spacers with a 1/4 inch hole. At my stores, they are available in 1 inch, 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch lengths. Thread as many as are needed on 1/4x20 screws and you have the least expensive standoffs that I have found.

Fly safe, Glover

The hardware store idea is the cheapest no doubt. PSP MFG sells some aluminum ones that are really nice and not too expensive like the rest.

It just seems that it is hard to find different lengths. A couple sell a certain length for their own engine, but it might or might not fit the cowl length.

Most standoffs are aluminum which are light and probably the most durable. Nylon might be a good substitute. If they stand up to the job, you can cut whatever length you need.
Thanks for replying!

//www.swbmfg.com

I just "Googled" this site: [link=http://www.litepilots.com/enginestandoff.htm]Lite Pilots Engine Standoffs[/link]

PSP Manufacturing, SWB Manufacturing, Desert Aircraft, Horizon Hobbies, Air Wild Hobbies, Troy Built Models, Chiefs Aircraft, Don's Hobbies-via telephone call.

None of them get to long lengths. Reason for that is excessive vibration and/or twisting under loads. When things get long making your own out ot hardwoods or having something custom done at a machine shop still works beautifully. Wood works out as the best product in nearly every application. Aluminum may be pretty and make it super easy, but it has drawbacks.

When in Nuernberg, I noticed that MVVS plans to produce supplies of standoffs.
Currently, they heve them in three lengths with their backmount bracket package. These can be combined at will. Not anodized, but plain functional.

B&B Specialties has two sizes, 1/2" and 1 1/8"

They are aluminum.

www.dawghouserc.com

www.rcshowcase.com !!!!

I use 1/2 inch diameter black nylon spacers, the ones that comes with LCD and Plasma tv, with excellet results. I mount a ZDZ 50 with them. Is good to have some spares. I change the mounting screws for longer ones SS.

Luck

Stainless hardware is usually quite a bit softer than alloy. You might want to consider your material choice. NEVER use stainless screws on a prop hub. They often strip the hex head when tightening or loosening. They are a real pain to cut off without damaging anything.

Silversurfer, Thanks for the advise I still have to find some good screws. Down here is really complicated to find good screws. I will change them as soon I get some grade 8 screws.

Thanks againg

Luck

I suggest using a 1" redwood dowel. It is cheap, light weight, and strong. I have been flying these on my ZDZ80 powered Super Decathlon for over 2 years with no problems. This dowel material is usually available at Lowes or Home Depot.

I use stuff similar. To date I have not used or purchased a meatl standoff. The wood ones are just too simple and cheap to make. The weight diffences are minimal, and the planes all seem to have less vibration than those with metal standoffs. Perhaps not as pretty but I usually go out to the field to fly, not sit there with the cowl off.

Big Bird,

Thanks for the dowel suggestion, which I am making now for a set up that has had five vibration problems in the first forty flights.

Bill

Bill, I haven't tried dowels smaller than 1" in diameter because I like the lateral stability that these give under compression. As you can see from the photo, I used steel flat washers under the engine mounting lugs. I don't know if they were necessary.

Dick Hanson has the answer for stability with hardwood dowels. Once the standoffs are set in place and everything is bolted up tight with correct alignment, he glues ply webs between the standoffs. That adds in tremendously stiff shear webs and locks the structure in place. You can then add thrust changes, remove/reinstall the standoff assembly, etc. with no fear of losing alignment or other issues.


Mark

Mark, that's a super idea. Thanks for telling us about it. I did measure and cut each standoff for correct length and 2 degrees of right thrust. By being able to remove the standoff assembly as a block, it would make the right thrust beveling even easier on a belt sander.

One thing that is really good about making wooden standoffs is you are not limited to commercial lengths. If you cut a piece wrong then just toss it and make another one.

http://forgues-research.com/index.html

Dick also likes to use square stick stock instead of round dowels, it makes lapping on the webs a piece of cake. Just bolt the assembly up, get the alignment correct and then clamp the webs tight to the outside faces of the standoffs. easy to do, lots of gluing area, no problems all around.


Mark

mmattockx, do you have any pics of Dick's mounts?

I don't, but I know you can see them in some of his posts in this forum. They certainly are nothing fancy, just the four sticks drilled for the mounting bolts and some ply plates lapped onto the outside of the sticks. They don't look like much, but they are simple, robust, cheap and light.


Mark

My LHS has them made by Evolution. Different lengths, all alluminum and all anodized blue. I haven't looked into the price yet.