At OSH last year, I used 3/4" iron water pipe. I bought 4' sections
(threaded at each end) and sawed them in half at an angle (to make
ground penetration easier). Screwed a "T" connector on the end (for the
rope), and that was it. You need a hatchet or small ax to put it in
(carried anyway as part of my survival kit), but, when pounded in at an
angle, they do not come out. I probably spent a total of $15 on
everything. A bit heavy, but I don't use them much, so that's not a big
problem for me. You could probably use a smaller diameter, but I tend
to over-engineer things. (This was for a C172.)

jerry Wass wrote:
I used 7/16" rod, drilled out 1/2" nuts(to 7/16") & welded the h**l out of 'em--
actually got some 7/16" Spring steel from a spring mfg. co--nearly impossible to
bend!! for a Stinson 108.

Jim Weir wrote:


Sport Aviation (EAA Magazine), April issue, pages 110-112.

The article shows a system of metal rod-stakes and the 3-part chain with the
repair link in the middle. The article goes into some detail on how to make a
3-part chain with a repair link (pretty trivial to figure that out) but says
absolutely nothing about how the hex head (nut?) and locking nut get onto the
rod.

Now, my suspicion is that the top inch or so of the rod is threaded, a nut run
down to the bottom of the thread, a lockwasher, then another nut. That's my
SUSPICION. The article is silent on how this is done.

Anybody wanna confirm my suspicions. If so, tell me how the guy, by his own
admission with a minimal shop, can thread a 5/16 rod. That's a pretty hefty
(and rather unusual) die/thread size. ¼-20 is pretty common, but I'm not a good
enough machinist to say whether or not 5/16 is a garden variety tool.

It is also true that if you pound a lot on that hex nut at the top (if that is
what it is) there is no chance in hell that you will ever be able to separate
the nut from the rod without a torch. I mean, I think it is a great idea, and
I'd like nothing more than to get rid of those stupid corkscrews I've been using
for thirty years, but I'd like some of your comments on how we might make it
better.

Thoughts?

Jim
Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com




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