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[HOsteam] Athearn Mike - Adding weight
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In a message dated 11/26/00 5:10:49 PM Pacific Standard Time,
nelsonk@chch.planet.org.nz writes: A couple more thoughs on adding weight. I make lead Slugs by drilling holes in 1/4" masonite using a wood bit, you can make several different diameters using the standard drill bit sizes, or custom fit by using an adjustable wood drill bit. I then place the masonite form on another smooth sheet of masonite (1/4" sheet aluminum would be even better) and then pour lead into the holes. I can then assemble the weights in the boiler, glued with a little Goo into any length needed. Fishing shops may also carry forms for casting lead sinkers. I converted one that made round sinkers into a form for casting similar 1/2 ounce cylindrical slugs for weighting cars. The key was to mill the forms top and bottom halves flat on the inside to produce a slug with flat sides. Fishing tackle shops used to carry lead pots for melting lead, basically a cast metal ladle with a heating element in the middle, they were made in sizes like 2.5 and 5 pounds (I believe). I have had mine for 22 years, they may have been pulled from the market due to lead scares. I had a friend who ran a brake shop and he used to give me buckets of old lead weights. They had a lot of contaminants from the cars and brakes and would form a nasty slag on the top. After scooping the "slag' off you had a lead alloy ready to pour. Note wheel weights are harder than pure lead and much harder to mill into shape after pouring. I used them mainly for making the 1/2 ounce car weights. Ken about as far southwest as you can get and stay dry
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Nick Gray <nagray@...>
What did you use for the mold for the car weights? I am interested in making these as well
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At 10:21 AM 11/27/2000 -0500, you wrote:
In a message dated 11/26/00 5:10:49 PM Pacific Standard Time,
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Railboxx@...
I've done the car weight thing (still have about 500# here in the garage
someplace. Nasty stuff when you melt it down. Fumes can be toxic and if the molds are cold, you get a lot of mis-pours. Life got simplier when I started using lead shot (now steel) inside of tank cars (inserted through a small hole drilled in the under frame). I also use the shot between the frame rails on flatcars. For other applications where they can be hidden, my club came across something called Tape-A-Weight. These are weights that the tire people are now using to balance your car's wheels. They are approximately 1/2'' x 3/8'' x 1/8" with an adhesive backing already applied. They come in strips of eight and each one weights 1/4 oz each. We bought a whole box (enough to do a whole fleet of rolling stock) from a local tire shop for less than $30.00. They aren't the only solution, but they seem to work well in most applications, even hidden under loads in gons, inside of boxcars and covered hoppers. They are worth giving a try. Chief Jim
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Mike Bauers <mwbauers@...>
Railboxx@Aol.com wrote:
They also come in 1/2 oz... Mike Bauers -- [Home Computer etching/3d scanning/milling/drawings to models/pics to drawings/cad? Look over ModelersCad at http://www.eGroups.com/group/modelerscad]
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In a message dated 11/27/00 6:23:43 PM Pacific Standard Time,
nagray@austin.rr.com writes: Fishing shops may also carry forms for casting lead sinkers. I convertedThe aluminum mold was made by:one that made round sinkers into a form for casting similar 1/2 ounceand DO-IT Industries 3624 Logan Ave Waterloo, Iowa This is cast on the mold which I purchased at least 20 years ago. Type - Round Flat Sinkers 9/16 oz. Model - RFS-8-916 Also Cast on the mold. The mold also casts a lead eye onto the sinker. removing the tab produces a slug just a little over 1/2 ounce. Until the mold starts to heat up with casting lead, the metal does not flow completely into all molds. I use the partially formed slugs as fractional weight, or throw them back into the pot. Ken about as far southwest as you can get and stay dry
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