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Carbon Fiber PushRods

Our PushRods are carbon fiber tubes. We stock three diameters and they are the best PushRods we have ever found for RC applications. They are lighter than the 1/4" square balsa we used to use

Each size has a use in different applications. They all work great. They are used for racers as well as the Giant Scale airplanes. The hole in the center of the 1/8" PushRod is a slip fit for a 2-56 Dubro threaded rod (not All-thread) and the 5/32" PushRod is a slip fit for a 4-40 Dubro threaded rod (not All-thread). The 3/16" will accept 4-40 all-thread. The threads are an excellent gluing surface. In the instructions, we will show you several ways to connect different fittings.

Before you install any metal fitting in any PushRod, clean the metal fitting with a solvent like lacquer thinner or whatever you have in the shop. Then sand the metal fitting with a rough grit sand paper to scratch it for good glue adhesion. We have found that medium cure epoxy, slow cure Ca, JB Weld all work very well. We have just tested the new Rubberized Ca  IC-2000™ available from Bob Smith and the product that NHP sells under the name of Black Flash. It is fast and extremely strong. Plus it does not get brittle and should never break from a shock.

We also have a product that is perfect for flying wires. It is .060 x 36" solid carbon rod. A 1/16" Dubro threaded coupler and our recommended glues make a perfect attachment. They are small, light, and extremely strong in tensile strength. They will not stretch! When you use the Dubro threaded couplers, thoroughly CLEAN the INSIDE of the hole before you glue the rod in. Some of them still have machine oil in them and no glue will bond to the oil surface.

These (CPR-05 1/8") are the smallest of the Carbon PushRods that we stock. We use them for V-tail elevators on Quickie 500, rudder on Quarter 40 and standard tail Quickies, or on any surface where a 2-56 clevis is strong enough.
 
The fittings that are installed on the PushRods are 2-56 Dubro threaded rods (CPR-35) cut to the proper length, then cleaned and sanded for the 3/4" gluing surface. They are secured in place with the Bob Smith's IC2000 Ca (CPR-70) and set aside to cure. You can use kicker to set the ends, but it takes several hours for the Bob Smith IC2000 to cure completely. The shaft of the threaded rod can also be used for the servo ends if you are using Z-bends for your servo ends. We also have in stock, (CPR-20) special threaded rods that are 1.5" of 2-56 thread and only a short end to be glued into the PushRods.
 
Remember to clean all metal ends with a solvent, then scuff the metal before you glue it in the PushRod.

The 5/32" (CPR-10) have many uses and are the most popular of the sizes. In the picture above the ends are what we use for the elevators in the Q40 and some use them for the elevators in the V-Tail Quickies. The 2-56 brass threaded coupler (CPR-30) is the same fitting that we have used for many years, soldered to 1/16" music wire. They are secured in place with the IC-2000™ Ca (CPR-70) and set aside to cure. You can use kicker to set the ends, but it takes several hours for the IC-2000™ to cure completely.
 
The other PushRod has a 2-56 threaded rod (CPR-35) with the threads cleaned and inserted in the 5/32 carbon PushRod. It is glued in place with the IC-2000™. The threads have a larger diameter and give a great surface for the glue to adhere to.
 
Remember to always clean the metal ends with solvent, and rough the metal surface before you apply the IC-2000™.

Above are two different sizes of carbon PushRods with different 4-40 fittings. The first is the 5/32" (CPR-10). The fitting is the 4-40 steel fitting (CPR-25). It has a shaft size that is a slip fit to the inside diameter of the 5/32" PushRod.
 
The second is the 3/16" (CPR-15) carbon PushRod. The fitting is a 1.5" cut length of the 12" 4-40 all-thread. (CPR--50). The threads are a larger diameter than the 4-40 shaft, and is a good fit to the inside of the PushRod.
 
They are secured in place with the IC-2000™ Ca (CPR-70) and set aside to cure. You can use kicker to set the ends, but it takes several hours for the IC-2000™ to cure completely.
 
Remember to always clean the metal parts with solvent and then sand the surface before applying the IC-2000™.

There are three different types of fittings in this picture. The method of installing the fittings in the first two is probably the strongest, but it is overkill. I am showing this method for those of you that even though you have seen my adhesion test of the IC-2000™(CPR-70), and are still not believers.
 
The first example is a 1.25" cut length of 2-56 all-thread (CPR-45) for the 1/8" carbon PushRod. (CPR-05) The first step is to cut a 3/4" length of 5/32" aluminum tubing (CPR-55) for a collar and Ca it to the end of the PushRod. This must be done first so that the next step does not split the PushRod. Now take the 1.25" piece of all thread and put it in your drill motor chuck. Leave 1/2" of the threads outside the chuck. Put some IC-2000™ (CPR-70) inside the tube, and some on the cleaned threads that are outside the chuck of your drill motor. Spin the 1/2" of threads into the PushRod end. Let it set up, and you are ready to install.
 
The second example is the same except we use 4-40 all-thread(CPR-40) and the aluminum tube is 3/16" (CPR-60) and these all fit the popular 5/32" carbon PushRod. (CPR-10) You can use kicker to set the IC-2000™ but it takes several hours for the IC-2000™ to cure completely.
 
The third example on this picture is the 1/16" solid carbon fiber rod. (CPR-01) It is used primarily for tail support wires on Giant Scale Aerobatic Airplanes. It has extreme tensile strength and will not stretch or take a bend set. The fitting for these is the brass threaded coupler. (CPR-30) When you put these together with IC-2000™, make sure that you clean the inside of the fittings. There is still some machining oil inside some of them. If you do not, the glue will not stick to the metal.