planeome

I've got a 3/8 strut thats got to go in a 1/2 retract. Anybody got a good idea? It will be most apreciated. Thanks all Todd

alanc

You need someone with a lathe, i work one for a living, if you pay my airfare, i will bring some over fairly simple quick job, do you know anyone with access to a machine??

planeome

ey mate, If I had the cash, I'd gladly fly you over. I am a little lost at what you would do with a lathe. Are you talking about grinding down the strut, cause I need it bigger, or do you mean something else? Thanks for responding Alan. Todd

TFF

you need to machine a sleeve that fills the space. Slips over the strut and slips in the retract. The lathe would be the easiest tool to use; you might have to get someone locally to make you one.

planeome

I gotcha. Thank you sir. Todd

cimara

You could buy some 1/2 inch tubing this tubing is close here http://www.mcmaster.com/#aluminum-al...tubing/=3iqmdt and if needed ream out the center with a reamer from here http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PMPXNO=2611060 the cut to the lenght you need hope this helps

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

here is a photo of the Robart spacer for the 7/16 struts to fit into the 1/2 retract mech.

notice the slit cut into the spacer to allow it to flex and tighten around the strut leg, if you use a heavier gauge tubing with a id. small enough to slide over the strut leg and take up the 1/8" needed for it to fill the space at the retract mech it should do the same thing, I would think a dremmel cut off wheel would do the job just fine to make the slit in the tubing.

you could also do a double spacer one piece soldered to the end of the strut leg, and then the flex spacer to do the tightening in the retract, just make sure you sand the top of the retract tube so the solder sticks well,a little bit of flux helps weap the solder into the gap, so you can use less heat and do the job quicker.

you might be able to use brass to make the spacer if you can't find any steel to use, it sure does solder better than the typical steel the LHS has in there little racks of tubing and metal stock thats for sale there,its a little softer than steel of course but will get the job done, just make sure there is enough room in the gap for the spacer to fully tighten when you crank it down in the gear.