Hi Guys,

I know this may sound a little bit of an odd question, but the more I thought about it the more I thought of posting here. I have noticed that some of the rods seem to be softer then others. I don't recall what the brand was at the time.

Question:

I figure the answer to this is based on experience of using these products. Lets see if anyone has had the same experience and the answer.


Which Brand of 12" X 4-40 Rods are overall stronger for overall Strength and Stiffness.

*** A Great Planes 12 x4-40 rod or the Dubro 12 X 4-40 rod?


Thanks

Ed

I use them both and haven't seen a nickles worth of difference. I have seen a difference in the rods that come in ARFs as hardware and don't use them except once in a while for throttle, they bend easier to get an angle and seem to hold the bend pretty well. Most of them are metric too and don't fit the SAE clevis.

QUOTE=Gray Beard;12001759]I use them both and haven't seen a nickles worth of difference. I have seen a difference in the rods that come in ARFs as hardware and don't use them except once in a while for throttle, they bend easier to get an angle and seem to hold the bend pretty well. Most of them are metric too and don't fit the SAE clevis.[/QUOTE]




Hi Gray Bear,


That's exactly why I am looking into buying these rods. I have had the exact experience that you have described. Weak rods that end up bending. The worst problem is the thread size. For the Novice and even the Experienced modeler can be accidentally tricked into using these ARF rods when in a rush or just accidentally mixing them up with other rods. Like me I have an old monokote cardboard tube hanging from the rafters down in the basement filled with Nyrods, plastic tubes, assorted length's of 2-56 & 4-40 steel rods etc. But the biggest issue is accidentally using an ARF steel rod with a steel clevis rather then the nylon one that it most likely came with in the ARF box with the plane. "Because that surely will come off" the steel rod somehow, someway I can guarantee it, and you will loose the plane and your investment and hard work, just like it happened to me. On a second flight of an ARF "Ugly Stick" I made the same mistake by using an ARF supplied steel rod and a Steel rod that I already had in the shop. Big "NO, NO"..... Now that's an experience.

But thanks Gray Beard for the info. about the Dubro vs. the Great Planes steel rods sold in the packs I have pictured above.

Thanks

At one time I was assembling a lot of ARFs for people and they always had me use DuBro rods as a replacement so I kept a few of the ARF 2-56 rods just for throttle use. All the rods I kept were a dark color like black or something. Easy to spot in my drawer so they never get used in a plane I build. If you try to use a good DuBro clevis on them they wobble so again, easy to tell apart. Some will take solder and some won't.
In the real kits we get, all the wire is either DuBro or Great Planes. So far I have never seen a kit come with Chinese hardware. I either build kits or from plans so I have a lot of American hardware in stock. I only have one small electric ARF and it didn't use control rods, just stainless steel wire and it was good stuff. The ARF is Aeroworks. I also have a lot of that little stainless on hand but seldom have used it for anything.

Hey Gray Beard,

My experience with using the wrong combo of parts was many years ago, 20 years or so, a long time ago. I have since realized what you are saying about the darker color rods and the clevis wobble a dead give away for sure. I also recall the solder reference as well not working.

Ed