BillS

Rubber bands

I got tired of seeing broken rubber bands on the shop floor and having to look to find where they came from. They deteriorate with age and break for no apparent reason. Also a rubber band on a black antenna of a beautiful airplane looks silly.

I found a variety of sizes of round and flat black elastic at Wal-Mart. It makes sense that a product that can withstand years of washing might be a better choice than rubber bands that break frequently.

For a few months I have been using elastic tied to form a circle for antenna’s and receiver hold-downs. The elastic looks like part of the antenna and improves the plane’s appearance. Receiver hold-downs no longer break. Don’t know why it took 20 years to find a low maintenance solution.

CafeenMan

BillS - I sympathize. I have a lot of clamps that use rubber bands and almost every time I reach for one the rubber band is broken or about to break.

Where in Walmart are the items you're talking about?

Spanky1

Office Max has the exact rubber bands sold at the hobby shop for trainer wings. I paid a few bucks for a HUGE bag, works out to a penney a piece.

After flying, stick the rubber bands in a paper towel and sprinkle baby powder over them. Squish them up in the baby powder and it extends the life tremendously.
(Obviously on a budget here)
Spanky

Jerry Sigur

Never, ever reuse rubber bands that are used for wing hold downs.
Rubber bands are cheap, airplanes are not.

davidmor

I never re-use rubber bands on a plane wing either. They are so cheap, I won't risk a plane over a few pennies. To make sure I don't accidentally grab a used one I cut the bands off of the plane with my pocket knife. That way the bands can't be re-used, and it also makes for a quick dis-assembly of my plane!

Kaos Rulz

David,

I reuse them all the time on my wings. I just put the normal 114 rubberbands on, and I'm good to go.

BillS

CafeenMan,

The elastic is in the sewing department at Wal-Mart. It is available in a wide variety of sizes. I bought more sizes than ever thought needed and continue to find other places to replace rubber bands.

On a wing I use rubber bands.

CafeenMan

Thanks

pt19 flyer

My Feedback: (1)

hi bills

I use kitty litter in plaster container to absorb the oil residue off the rubber bands after use shak-um up good. this works great and greatly extends useful life of rubber bands
give it a try

happy flying
pt19 flyer

bokuda

My Feedback: (7)

I reuse them all the time! I keep them in a coffee can containing bath powder. After flying I put them in the can and shake it up. There many bands in the can and I pick them at random. That way the same ones don't get used all the time. I've been doing this for years with no problem.

BillS

Yes the kitty litter method works well. Thanks.

The rubbers most often found broken are receiver, and battery hold down, the ones that tension the antenna, and also the ones that couple the rudder to the tail wheel.

Stew99

I began using elastic cord tied in a loop to attach my antenna several years ago. The elastic cord won't rot like a rubber band but the elastic becomes "dead" after a couple of seasons and needs to be replaced. In the hair care section at WalMart you can get a card full of preformed elastic loops in a multitude of colors for two or three bucks.