If you don't have access of push rods, this can be used as alternative 
while making my SPAD in my home town, i couldn't get it as there is no hobby shop yet..

Dedicated to all those who doesn't have access to hobby shop in their home town.

Better still - use a piece of string - and tension it on the other side with a rubber band

i.e do not use a push rod at all

the best push rods cost me about Rs 2 per piece... they are the normal cycle spokes...... They are easily available and also very cheep to buy....

@ Shobhit & Saikat

There are many alternatives .. its just one of them.. 

Agree with Shobhit sir. Cycle spokes are the most easy to get and also very cheap. Also, these have sufficient strength and could be easily bend to any shape with help of pliers.

Bamboo cocktail skewers...................Dirt cheap! They can work out to less than a Rupee per piece. All that you have to do is make two z bends with wire, wrap them in string and cyano them to both ends.

http://www.ebay.in/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xbamboo+skewers&_nkw=bamboo+skewers&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Yes yes the same bamboo skewers, ill post pick in hours about how i made them, it was described in a PDF that sanjay sir gave me.
Stiffer than iron wire, lighter than spokes. Used normal polyester thread and fevicol. Ca doesnt go good with wood.

Ashok.P

Go ahead Ashok, I won't steal your thunder.

pics. Ive seen people in sholavaram using them on even nitros.

bamboo skewers for 58 rs. 100pcs from royal plastics Luz Chennai

For longer pushrods, use
phool jhaadu ki teeli
 

bro yeh jo jhadoo ki tilli k akhir mai lagaya hai.. ...what do we say it. ..actually im new to this hobby

Have you guys ever though of using the ones in electric sparkles ? Comes in various length. Although you need to use it before lighting it. If you want to use the full length, then take one full length sparkles, keep it outdoor on a hard and flat surface and gently hammer the Actual Chemicals out. I use this method because so many are left excess in home Diwali after Diwali.

The hammered out chemicals ones can be used to make a custom torch cracker

http://anilfireworksonline.com/productdetail.php?productid=20-50-CM--ELETRIC-SPARKLES

they are a bit soft ( Sparkle )post you use them.....
1. once using them when red hot put them in water this will harden them and will not easily bend.

Saurabh - have you actually tried this?



If you suddenly cool that wire rod, because of the very low Carbon percentage it will hardly harden. It needs about C45 to be effective 

@Saurabh - Quenching does help. But easier option is to look for sparkles from different manufacturer and different variety. Each has different property.

Another alternate of push rod is using pull pull system... not easy for a first timer..  but must try it,  Works great if you set up properly.. & very light weight also.

What you use for giving tension in pull pull mechanism??
Send pics of other end..

We can also use empty ball pen refills connected together. I have used it in one of my plane but still waiting for its maiden flight.

A 'pull pull' mechanism has two sided servo arms as in sharlock's pics, and control horn on both sides of the control surface. Instead of a 'push/pull' rod, you have one 'pull' rod, ie, cable or thread, on each side. So when you give 'up', one thread pulls, and when you give down, the other thread pulls.

The difficult part is getting the lengths and tension equal on both sides.

You can even have a mechanism with a single pull thread!
For details you can see my RCTLG thread...

Edit: Reply 19-21 in this thread

www.rcindia.org/kites-trains-free-flight-and-all-others/sweepstakes-rctlg-k-k-iyer/msg183753/#msg183753

A lot of expensive equipment goes inside an aeromodel. If not properly managed, it is also a dangerous flying hazard.

It amazes me how anyone could want to screw around with a lowlife item like a pushrod.

Do not try to emulate Iyer sir - unless you too have 50+ years aeromodelling experience under your belt

@ sanjay sir,

I have done this and seen good % age of hardening (at least you can feel). When the sparkel is burning the temperature is quite high quenching at that time will be much more effective.

Temperature while burning is high as in some cases the wire melts and drops.

regds
Saurabh
 

Irresponsible statement from someone as experienced as yourself!

You know sparkler rod steel has NO standardization. You will never get consistent results. And you are encouraging others to adopt risky methods which can lead to a catastrophic failure or a serious accident 

Sir,

1. These are suggestions. the decision to use / not use is solely @ discretion of the user.
2. The model in talk is not a 10000/- model we are talking of small foamy model.
3. If a simple Jhadu ki tilli can work a sparkel metal rod can be used with wonderful results.
4. I am responsible enough to suggest only the ideas which are used and implemented by myself.
I used the sparkle wire on pop wing as push rods and i found good enough hardening on that wire post quenching.

Scratch building is all about ideas.... some may be too good and some may only be good.

If you go for ideal solutions which are mostly expensive ( and not available locally) the budget will exceed or the AUW will exceed.

Cycle spokes are much heavier than sparkle wire.

regds
Saurabh

Guys, IMHO, experimenting doesn’t need experience. On contrary, it is those very experiments which builds up experience.