: Mick,

: What I was referring to are the plastic tubing and fittings that are
: available at hardware stores. They're typically used for water filters,
: ice makers, coffee machines, etc. in lieu of copper tubing. The tubing is
: typically a milky color, 1/4' OD, ~1/8" ID. It is used with brass
: compression rings and fittings on the ends that can be conveniently glued
: into a skeg box and control system. It will serve as the outer, watertight
: housing for an actuating cable, much like the housing of a bicycle cable.
: BTW, bicycle cable housing is not stainless and therefore is not suitable
: for kayak applications.

: It's possible to use either a braided cable or a solid wire inside the poly
: tubing, though I feel that the solid wire approach is superior for a
: push-pull system such as a skeg. I haven't looked for a source for
: stainless wire yet, but I'm sure it's available from industrial suppliers
: or hobby shops. Speed shops may also sell it for use as safety wire.

: You can attach it to the skeg by making a 90 degree bend 1" or so from
: the end, feeding it through a small cross drilled hole in the skeg, then
: bending the end again to keep the cable in place. At the other end, the
: actuator slide need be nothing more than a plastic cylinder or ball with a
: hole drilled through it (a large plastic bead will work) and a small set
: screw that pinches the cable where it passes through. If you have a Walden
: dealer anywhere near you, take a look at the system on a Passage and
: you'll see what I mean.

Brian

Hey, say it ain't so abt the bicycle fittings! I would have thought w/ all the off road stuff out there now that there are some at least corrosion resistant fittings.

And interesting simple attachm't to the skeg, altho you'd have to carefully design and limit the throw so that not too much angular movem't happens. Can you work harden stainless?

But your discussion abt the round knob actuators brings to mind another possibility. Aside from the cable cantilever benefits of the previous paragraph, what if, you had a rotating attachm't at both the housing and the skeg. Say a short (1/2" long) plastic cylinder cast into the housing, cable hole drilled(sideways) thru into box (therefore rotates and fairly well sealed), and something similar for the skeg too. Then skeg could be deployed thru greater angles assuming the cable is stiff enough.

But the bicycle fittings!!

-mick