Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

I was looking for a small flexible piece of tubing to run servo wires through and I think I found it..

It's drinking straws.. Not just any straw will do.. The Double Big Gulp straw from 7-11 will do the trick..
They are 13" log and 5/16 OD.. When did straws get so big?

I like the straws for wiring tubes.. they are small enough to fit through most places in a wing.
Flexible so they will make mild turns and twists..

For this setup the tubes twist under and around one of the wing spars.. Try that with paper or cardboard tubes.

So on to the howto..

I needed about 15" tubes so I had to put 2 straws together..

It's an easy trick.. Just flair one straw with whatever you have laying around.. A punch did the job in this case.. Be ready to put the straws together quickly as it will shrink back to it's original shape fast.

Once they are in it holds together quite well.

After the straws were put together I used a forstner bit to drill holes in the ribs and run the tubes through..

Now for the wires.. remove the plug from one end of the servo lead, run them through the tubes and re-install the plugs.

That's all..

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

Expanding the tubing

Am I the only one having BIG problems with attachments?

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

One super long straw

Here's another

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

Holes drilled and tubes installed.

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

servo lead with plug removed..

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

running the wires

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

I always make a similar tube from the smaller stirring straws (like for coffee at 7-11) to run thru the wing or fuselage for the antenna wire on my 72mHz system.

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

the small coffee stirer makes a great antenna tube as well

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

I use small straws strung together (as above) to lace antenna wire thru and also for exits on closed loop controls

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

They also make great servo wire looms inside the fuse when you want to clean up the inside to the fuse.
NEDYOB

RE: Straws for wiring tubes? Oh yeah!
 

Here is a good one:
The pick-up tube from spray bottles. The pick-up tubes for pump-type lotion, hair/body product dispensers are a little bigger in diameter but also work great.
These tubes can be used as anything from semi-flexible fuel tubing to pushrod guide tubes to antenna guides to water pick-up tubes (marine/boating). They also make a great hinge or axle bearing.