Elevator trim wheel

[bestbearhawk1231]

Hello, the plans call for 1/4" aluminum trim wheel. Is there a specific reason that it needs to be 1/4"? Would 1/8" work? It is not structural and the big thing I see is having something more substantial to grab when making adjustments. Also, the plans call for bronze washers between the trim wheel assembly and the mounting tube. I have not been able to find bronze washers locally but have been able to find brass washers. There is only 3 lbs drag on the wheel and the trim doesn't move all that much, is there any reasons why the brass washers wouldn't work?

[alaskabearhawk]

I would like a wider trim wheel so in case of an accident the wheel wouldn't act like a pizza cutter on the ol' noggin'. Bronze is self-lubricating, brass isn't. It would work, but one more thing to continuously maintain. A sticky trim wheel in a BH wouldn't be my idea of fun.

[X'N]

What about making the center out of 1/8 and then flush rivet on another 1/8 ring on the outer edge? Think of the old wood/chrome steering wheels in the shelby mustangs.

Mcmaster Carr has a good selection of bronze washers http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-br...ashers/=pj5jz5

http://www.mcmaster.com/#thrust-washers/=pj5l5c

[bestbearhawk1231]

XN, that is the look I was thinking about going for...1/8" center with wood ring around both sides so it is easier to grab and as alaskabearhawk pointed out wouldn't act as a pizza cutter. I guess I didn't think about riveting a second ring around the outside. I didn't realize that bronze was self lubricating, I figured that they called for bronze bearings all the time because it was harder than brass. Thanks for the link to Mcmaster carr, I wish I would have remembered to look for them before I placed the last order.

[X'N]

If you know someone with a cnc mill or just a rotary table on a mill it wouldn't be hard to made the trim wheel or even modify one from AvPro