Does the tube just get flattened then welded to the two channels, or is part of the tube cut away? Is any welding done vertical inbetween the two channels?
———- Making the elevator pushrods is not that difficult. The trick is that you want to end up with a 1/2″ gap between the 2 channels so that after paint, etc. the rod end will still slip between the channels. To flatten the end, mark the tube at the point where the flat spot ends(don’t have the dimension in front of me at the moment), stick a piece of 3/8″ thick flat stock inside the tube deeper than the line just drawn. This 3/8″ thick piece needs to be as wide as you can fit in the tube and can be made of alum, hard plywood etc. Take this set up to the vise and crank the tube flat down to the 3/8″ piece inside. We use our hyd press with a set of flattening plates we have but vice will work. The tube will spring open a bit leaving the 3/8″ piece loose in the tube. That is about right. We have a fixture to weld the channels to the tube but you can bolt them together with a 1/2″ spacer between them. Line up the angle bend to the line on the tube and tack in place. Form angle tab t
