UnPossible

UnPossible

Well Known Member
Hey - does anyone have a suggestion what I could use for some smooth walled conduit? I am working on getting the wires from the central floor tunnel to up behind the panel. I installed a short section of the ribbed conduit that Vans sells, but am having a heck of a time getting wires through it.

There has to be another type of tubing w/o the ribbing that would work.

Thanks,
Jason
 
Ribbed conduit is difficult to run wires thru. A couple of years ago I put a servo in the wing of my RV-6 and had a heck of a time running new wires thru existing ribbed conduit. On my rocket I used 3/4" polyethylene tubing I got from Mcmaster-carr, along with 7/8" snap bushings.
 
Ribbed conduit is not all that difficult if you go about it the right way. Tie a cotton ball to string and blow it through. Then tie the string to the wire and pull it through.
 
Lowes and Home Depot have irrigation tubing that I used which was very lightweight and worked great.
 
For straight runs go to Home Depot and purchase a water heater overflow tube, then cut the metal fitting off the end. Very light weight and smooth walls.
 
Very lightweight and cheap

Try this stuff.

You can get the 1/32" wall, which is probably lighter than anything you might find at local stores.
 
Conduit

Anyone use this material for conduit?
\
AFC Cable Systems 1/2 in. x 25 ft. Non-Metallic Liquidtight Conduit

Thanks

Jack
 
Smooth wall conduit

I'm using .500 OD x .028 wall 6061-T6 aluminum tubing from ACS in my wings. This stuff weighs .0496 lb/ft and costs $1.99/ft. Weight and price were acceptable to me. Won't burn like some plastics and is fairly rigid between ribs.
 
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Jackm said:
Anyone use this material for conduit?
\
AFC Cable Systems 1/2 in. x 25 ft. Non-Metallic Liquidtight Conduit

Thanks

Jack
Click to expand...

10 ft is 1.3 pounds weight, probably heavier than the other options mentioned above...
 
why not aluminum?

Pardon my ignorance, but can't you use metal tubing? 1/2" x .035 al is about a pound per 16 feet. Is that not light enough or is the conduction the issue? Or maybe just the price?
 
sorry guys going to try a cut and paste from the rv-7 area

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=82080

my post there again a cut and paste .

Just a quick note to add to it, please remember I am not a builder yet, but you can also use Drip tube from home depot, its cheap, cut to length and very very light weight.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...053&langId=-1&keyword=drip+tube&storeId=10051

12 bucks for 100 feet, can get it in 1/4 , 1/2 and 5/8 inch. I use the 1/2 around the house for speaker, cat5, phone runs works good.

if you really want to get fancy, these liquid tight flex connectors are a snug fit on the 1/2 drip tubes, a little PVC clue would keep the lock nut from rotating off, can get in straight or 90 degree, hope the idea helps someone.

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...keyword=liquid tight&storeId=10051

hope that worked
 
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Irrigation line

I went with 13mm irrigation (dripper) line. Smooth and light, as well as not being able to sustain a fire. In a naked flame it burns but take the flame away and it goes out.

Jim
 
My concern with drip tube would be expanding and shrinking due to temp change....this would add stress to secure points. Especially on the wing where we are glueing the tube to the wing would add side load pressure to the ribs? The design of corregated tube is to Dec but also allow for linear flex as well?
Maybe this is of no concern?

Thanks for input
Jack
 
Agree with Previous (JackM)

If you've sat window seat in a Boeing or airbus before.... seen the wing tips flex under load? Now granted the RV's don't flex near that much, or even at all, for all I know. But, with a rigid (pvc, aluminum or whatever?) conduit fastened with sealant to each wing rib would impose a side load into each rib where it passes through the rib, as the wing flexes.

I cannot quantify the magnitude of either the wing flex or the side load, if any at all, but it would be a mute point with the flexible, corregated conduit... Just a thought.

An extreme case of this is the 787 Dreamliner and it's composite wings... that thing looks like a fuselage hanging in hammock... wonder if they fastened a rigid conduit from root to tip?

Im not as worried about the conduit burning in a wing, as i am with the 36 gallons of fuel!

Derek, RV-9A
#92103
Emp Complete.
Wings Deliver Tuesday!
 
PVC and plastic hangers

I've used PCV drain (thinner walled than supply) and the plastic hangers shown in the photo below. The tube is free to float in the hangers except where it's pull riveted to the outer most rib hanger (I didn't want the tube to be able to twist).
d4860502.jpg
 
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