TIGHTEN YOUR SCREWS!!!!!!!!

[drinternat]

Copterboy. I wish there was an op I could get to restore my hearing. I guess 50 years of wearing headphones (before the days of noise limiters took) has taken its toll. Hey ho. Hearing aids are wonderful if you get a good one but its not the same. Hope the op goes OK and you are left with the result you want.

What I started out to ask was. - Thread lock. I'm told there are different ones for different applications. Red thread lock - Green thread lock.. would one of you guys "in the know" please do a post about what I need to buy and what the best brand is. I've seen some that could pass for water and others that looked like paste. Good shop to buy??? Mail order?

[copterboy]

Hi DR I,

I did have a hearing aid fitted but the problem was it worked to well!! My right ear still had 25% hearing at lower frequencies (which is almost total deafness anyway) so the hearing aid was like wearing an ear piece at full blast. Won't digress to much, but this all started at the age of 3 when I got an ear infection. Had some bones removed from middle ear aged 7, to stop spread of infection and total loss of hearing. Now they stopped infection and figured out how to put the bones back.....Best upgrade I'll ever get I too hope the result turn's out as expected, I've been warned there is a risk it may not!!

Anyway, back to topic. Not sure about all applications for threadlock so yeh, it's a good topic to discuss (espescially with a CNC belt!). These are the one's I heard of so far : -

Red = High Strength
Blue = Med Strength
Pink/Brown/Green = Low Strength

Would someone like to add a post about applications for different strength's?

I have 1 very bad and 1 very good LHS. One doesn't even stock threadlock, and the other has all kinds. I got my blue t.lock from Revolution Models who are based in Manchester, UK (they're on net and do mailorder), so far it seems to be holding my CNC e-sky tail together very well (so far = 4 batt's).

I'll get some more pack's in over the coming week, and report back if I reach 10 packs and no more loose screws (was happening about every 4 flights using low-strength).

The blue is definately thicker viscosity than the brown stuff I first used.

[Heli Yea!]

I use Super Glue brand thread lock blue(medium strength) for all applications that are metal to metal. I have a bottle of red(high strength) also Super Glue brand unopened that stuff is too strong and requires 400 degrees of heat to get it loose. Only use red if you don't want it to come apart ever again! I buy mine at Home Depot (a giant warehouse hardware store) Purple or any other low strength thread lock is not recomended for helis or anything that produces vibration.

[drinternat]

Thanks. i think home Depot are called B & Q in the UK. Do you use any thread lock when screwing into plastic like the sides of the belt CP? Are you saying the "superglue" brand BLUE is probably all the variation i would ever need then. I see finless sticking the tail bearing (and others) into its housing so it wont rotate and wear the plastic out. what would we use for that . Maybe Evostick?

[Heli Yea!]

Blue is the ticket but don't use it on plastic as it will 'craze' some plastics. I dont know what to use on plastic except CA, but as you probably know it is permanent. I use the carbon frame w cnc mounting blocks (every screw metal to metal) and I only used the plastic frame for literaly 2mins. or less. I would say no glue on plastic IMO. Maybe someone else has an idea of what to use or to confirm no glue. Maybe Elmers white school glue or wood glue?

[copterboy]

IMHO - I have some plumbing experience and from this, I hate B&Q branded products (cheap and nasty). I wouldn't recommend buying threadlock from them unless you are buying a non-B&Q brand such as 'Super Glue', 'Lock-tite' etc.

I'm on CF frame and CNC stuff like HY! But didn't think plastic frame needed glue or threadlock? Do you have screws that keep coming loose? I think a tiny amount of CA/Superglue will act like threadlock and release the screw under pressure of a screwdriver (tiniest amount though - like tip of a toothpick). But I would only recommend this method if indeed your screws are coming loose.

Interesting point about finless & bearing - I had to do this myself (for the CNC tail box bearing's) and used CA/Superglue. I may even PM Bob to confirm if that's what he recommends??

[sutty]

I should have listened to you. Still I have been really lucky because it didn't happen in flight. I was just getting ready to take off and then my tail exploded.

I basically shed an entire tail blade, holder and all. I had recently completely re-assembled my copterx tail and was careful to thread lock every screw, sadly apart from the two that hold the blade holders in (I know, the most important ones.) Obviously one had come loose and as I spooled up, just as I hit lift off power, the blade disappeared, literally, I have no idea where it has gone, I'm just glad it didn't hit me.

Amazing the amount of damage that has been done to the tail by the loss of one of the holders and blades.

Any calculations as to how far away it could be? I don't know how far to restrict my search radius to. Seriously though I think I will just order a new tail.

Grounded now though until I get home on Thursday night, as long as my bits are here by then.

[Ian 777]

O bad show Andy.
I too must own up to having neglected those screws. I will rectify the omission immediately....................................... .................................................. ......
........................... done it

By the way chaps congrats on rescuing this thread from an almost certain descent
into appallinly predictable Smutty Inuendo.

A similar incident in the distant past on an different forum led to a genocidal ethnic cleansing orgy by the moderators. Somone rather childishly noticed that the term 'chopper' didn't neccesarily mean helicopter and one thing lead to another

[Heli Yea!]

Originally Posted by sutty

Any calculations as to how far away it could be?

No, mine were stopped by the wall, so my calcs. would be way off! But I would say 30 feet or 10 meters.
Ironicly I was going to bump this thread again today as I checked those very screws before my first flight at the airfield. Amazing how big open sky can instantly boost confidence as soon as the vid uploads I'm going to post it!

[copterboy]

Originally Posted by sutty

Any calculations as to how far away it could be?

This happened to me when I was using wrong threadlock. First loss was on take off, and found buried in the ground 18" behind the heli. Secondtime I lost it was on Tarmac and watched it skid along the ground and rested about 30ft away. Once I got a blade strike and snapped off a horizontal fin, i watched it fly about 50 ft through the air!!!

At least you may not have to search a full circle, would be more like an oval strip 3/4m wide by about 20m forwards and backwards from where the heli was!

Would a metal detector help find it or something like a golf club with a magnet fixed on the end? Depends how long the grass was, eh Sutty? Infact just though, is it aluminium that is not magnetic?

[gerrydobro]

Good luck on your surgery CoptorBoy! My wife had ear surgery - had the inner ear bone fell apart and had a metal implant put in, it was day surgery and all went well.

I think we all have loose screws!
Remember metal into plastic- use a drop of CA
metal into metal - use 232 thread lock or locktight

I had forgot to put threadlock on my Axe cp cap screw for the feather shaft after spinning up the blades came off w/ grip and went 30 ft to the left and the other blade/grip and feather shaft went 30 ft to the right all were ok and no one hit!

Gerry

[sutty]

I've already given up searching, but thanks for the suggestions. I didn't see it go at all, so it could be anywhere. Behind me was the house, I have checked the roof and the gutters, in front of me was the lawn and then the field beyond, but the field is a long way away. I'm surprised I couldn't just see it lying on the grass, which is mown nice and short at the moment, I scalped it this week trying to make it hard work for the moss, but no it is nowhere to be seen. I did even look directly where the tail was to see if it had been driven into the soft earth, but no to that also.

I've ordered a new tail from ebay, and will keep any undamaged bits of the old one as spares. Should be up and running by Thursday night/Friday morning, as long as the tail arrives. I've gone for those Radix blades that I saw in another thread, posted by Grant, as I thought I would treat myself. Can't have a crash without an upgrade, it just wouldn't be cricket.

[mnwizard]

Hi Sutty, your search reminds me of the endless searches for Lama flybars!

[creteus]

Who needs to tighten thier screws in plastic??? Least thats the way thought up until a minute ago. I was flying pretty high and the wind was blowing pretty good, 11 MPH acording to the weather guy, hard enough to move the trees. Anyways the helicopter started turning left to right like the gyro wasn't working right so I spun around in a 360 and let go of the stick. Gyro stopped it fine. I figured the wind was the culprut for the erratic tail movement and went on flying. A few minuets later it started again but much worse this time and it came with a noise that sounded like a gas weedeater. I barely could control the tail and with the wind a blowing I was also having a hard time coming down. I finally got her back to me to see that my whole tail assembly was just about to fall in half. There was a pile of burn't rubber on the pully where it had got out of line with the belt. Weedeater noise was my belt being rubbed apart. Good part is no crash no parts, cept maybe a new belt. I'll be checking those screws now

Matt

[sutty]

Good job on getting her back safely, with an only a partly functioning tail.

[copterboy]

Good job on getting her down Creteus, almost same thing happened to me with t-rex last weekend after putting a new gyro on. It started to make a funny noise, as I was about to take off...Think it happened because I took off in slightly longer grass and it put alot of strain on belt. Either that or the new gyro not setup properly?

Done a complete tail re-build with new belt...just waiting for rain & wind to stop. Made sure a drop of blue threadlock went on each screw + hoping I'll get to try it 2morow!

Copterx head & tail is finally on way for the belt!! Should be here this week or next. There was a delay in me getting an email to say one of the other parts I ordered was out of stock, I replied and they posted it now. Also, the old HH gyro that was on the t-rex is going on my belt, so I can't wait to get it all done.

Only 1 week to go till operation now! Hope they remember to put all my screws back in Will be off work for a week or two afterwards, and both heli's should be ready to fly just in time!!!

[Heli Yea!]

Hey Dennis,
Just make sure they use the red threadlock you don't want any of those screws coming loose on ya! Once again I hope it all goes well!

[creteus]

you use the red? I was told not to and to use the blue. Everyone says the red will never come apart.

[creteus]

Hey copterboy, Does the copterx head and tail bolt right up or is there mods that have to be done. Its much cheaper than the one I was going to buy

[Heli Yea!]

Creteus, I mean on Copterboy's surgery he dosent need any loose screws in his head that holds his brain! Though you are correct I even said earlier on in this thread not to use red unless you dont want it to come appart ever. And his head(for brain) we don't coming apart ever now do we?