I thought I'd share a quick solution to old or missing assist handles.

I bought a bunch of eye rings to use as tie down points in the baggage area. The mount hole is bigger than I wanted but an oilite bushing fits perfect allowing a #10 screw or bolt to be used. A bent thin washer keeps the ring from rattling while still able to rotate.


The cord I used is an 1800 pound test kevlar looped over six times. Not that I needed handles rated to ten thousand pounds... it just gave me the thickness I wanted and the kevlar is burn resistant. Also, in a survival event I have two 20 foot sections of 1,800 pound test available.





These were made 11.5 inches on center. 12" on center seemed a bit too long and 11.5 was just barely long enough. The Kevlar does NOT stretch like paracord will. The first photos are of paracord. I switched to kevlar after thinking about flame resistance and grabbing molten paracord in an emergency.




The eye rings are here
https://www.amazon.com/Canyon-Dancer-Ti ... B0068ESQTY

And the kevlar is here
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF ... UTF8&psc=1

They aren't the cheapest grab handles you can make but they will last a really long time.

Very cool idea!

Looks great Bagarre. How did you finish the end?

Yes... But Canyon Dancer?

A1Skinner wrote:Looks great Bagarre. How did you finish the end?

Havent quite figured out how to finish the end. I'll probably just cut it off and put a dab of epoxy on it. It wont go anywhere and you wont see it.

And yeah, but the kevlar covers up the name so you cant see it.

Very ingenious, incorporating emergency gear. I like it!
My 180 still has the stock (?) boarding assist straps-- chains covered with a leather sleeve.
My C150/150TD had plastic straps, which were broken.
I made up some assist straps using some nice soft mooring line,
color coordinated to the airplane's paint job of course,
mounted using the stock end fittings.
I've seen some people use harness leather also.
Some of those, suitably hand-tooled, would be pretty cool.

Sweet! Copying.

Looks great. There's some guys making them for $60 per set of 2, including the ends. I bought some a little over a year ago and they're great. They have the eyelets like yours. There are also another couple guys making them with little weak swivel type eyelets on the ends which not only look bad, but aren't strong.

-asa

asa wrote:Looks great. There's some guys making them for $60 per set of 2, including the ends. I bought some a little over a year ago and they're great. They have the eyelets like yours. There are also another couple guys making them with little weak swivel type eyelets on the ends which not only look bad, but aren't strong.

-asa

Thats not a bad price.
I have $10 a side for the eyelets and $15 a side for the kevlar cord.
It would be much cheaper if you used paracord but it melts at low temps.

My .02, just install the later model (60's) grab handles

Bigrenna wrote:My .02, just install the later model (60's) grab handles

Can you post a photo please.

Bigrenna wrote:My .02, just install the later model (60's) grab handles

Those are boring as @#%¥! The ones Bagarre made look awesome and I too plan on copying. You're .02, not needed.....again.

akgreg wrote:You're .02, not needed.....again.

LOL As usual, its always the buddies that show the love.

asa wrote:Looks great. There's some guys making them for $60 per set of 2, including the ends. I bought some a little over a year ago and they're great. They have the eyelets like yours. There are also another couple guys making them with little weak swivel type eyelets on the ends which not only look bad, but aren't strong.

-asa

Are the original Cessna ones supposed to swivel about the mounting screw?

niente qui

C180_guy wrote:

asa wrote:Looks great. There's some guys making them for $60 per set of 2, including the ends. I bought some a little over a year ago and they're great. They have the eyelets like yours. There are also another couple guys making them with little weak swivel type eyelets on the ends which not only look bad, but aren't strong.

-asa

Are the original Cessna ones supposed to swivel about the mounting screw?

No. I don't mean they swivel around the mounting screw, I meant the type shown below which I think look cheap/weak.

asa wrote:

C180_guy wrote:Are the original Cessna ones supposed to swivel about the mounting screw?

No. I don't mean they swivel around the mounting screw, I meant the type shown below which I think look cheap/weak.

I have found that no matter how much you tighten the screw, the end still swivels.

C180_guy wrote:

asa wrote:

C180_guy wrote:Are the original Cessna ones supposed to swivel about the mounting screw?

No. I don't mean they swivel around the mounting screw, I meant the type shown below which I think look cheap/weak.

I have found that no matter how much you tighten the screw, the end still swivels.

Sounds like you have some stripped threads or it's bottomed out.

Bigrenna wrote:

akgreg wrote:You're .02, not needed.....again.

LOL As usual, its always the buddies that show the love.

Your hideous inappropriate use of apostrophes is embarrassing all you're buddies.

dogpilot wrote:You can always finish the ends with a Monkey's Fist Knot:

Hmmmmm, didnt know you went through Bos'n training.....

MTV