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Re: Contact with Sergent Engineering
Mark Lewis
This is directly off a packing list I received with an order.
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Becoming a member of Sergent Engineer IO Group
Bob Stuff
Hi
I’ve recently learned of Sergent’s existence and have been trying to reach the company for more details. Lacking an email reply to the website address I used, I began to look around to see if there was any online info/chatter, and found this website. I’ve been modeling in HO for a number of years, and have now built most of my layout. One items of interest has been a rotary dumper, hence the interest in rotary couplers which is what lead me to Sergent and now this group site. Hopefully I can learn and then share some of my experiences.
B
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Contact with Sergent Engineering
Bob Stuff
I've sent several email to the address on the website and got no replay in over a month. Does anybody have a working email address for Sergent, or am I missing something?
B
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Mike Conder
Probably the latter if you're trying to retrofit existing cars, the former If you're scratchbuilding a new car. Mike Conder
On Sun, Feb 18, 2018 at 6:25 PM Dale Buxton via Groups.Io <the_one_tuatha_ddana=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Dale Buxton
Maybe. I was kind of thinking the same thing. Question is, do you make it to scale with a scale size buffer casting opening or do you make it to a 714 clone width opening? Hmmmmmm...
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On Sunday, February 18, 2018, 13:52, Mike Conder <vulturenest1@...> wrote:
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Darren Boes
I suspect that's the reason for the ball failing to drop in this case. If I recall the instructions emphasize burnishing the ball socket with a toothpick, and keeping the socket absolutely free of anything else to allow free movement of the ball.
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As this is my first message, I'll note that I switched to Sergents to get away from the excess slack action of Kadees. I'm planning a model railroad based on highlights of CP in southern Alberta and BC, and trying to account for the use of Sergents in the design of the switching areas. Darren Boes
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Graphite in coupler pocket
I didn't think it was ok to use graphite in ballpocket but it sounds good, is that ok ??
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Mike Conder
Thanks, Dale, that's what I was remembering. I forgot that the Sharons fixed this. Wonder if a new coupler box with better looking end (striker casting or buffer or whatever it's called) would be useful? Maybe ione for D&RGW, one for C&S that had a different casting ... Mike Conder
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Dale Buxton <dbtuathaddana@...>
Mike, You are refering to the type E couplers. They did need filing down of the shank height. The Sharon's for Blackstone cars were designed to fit in a Kadee 714 clone coupler box. The Sharon's still need to have the pivot area on the coupler reamed out in some cases. Sergent sells a reamer for just this purpose. The original Sharon's appear to have been designed to work in the Accumate coupler box, where the pivot post is just slightly smaller in diameter than the Kadee 714 boxes is. The Accumate box does have one problem that you can't file away. It is almost too wide to fit between an HOn3 wheel set. Making them impossible to use on any radius tighter than 22" radius track. Dale Buxton
On Sun, Feb 18, 2018 at 9:32 AM, Mike Conder <vulturenest1@...> wrote:
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Mike Conder
Very interesting, Dale, especially about the "stock" coupler pockets. But remind me: wasn't there an issue with the height of these coupler boxes that required filling a few thousandth of the Sergents so they'd fit? Mike Conder
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Re: HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Mark Lewis
Dale:
Thank' for your update and research. The use of the Kadee the 714 coupler box seems very promising. I will try it soon. Mark Lewis Stony Point, NC
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HOn3 Sharon coupler box w/centering spring action
Dale Buxton <dbtuathaddana@...>
To Mike Conder and anyone else that cares about this issue: I got my test prints of my coupler boxes from Shapeways Saturday (Feb, 17) and as I had surmised, they will need another pass at the drafting board and be made in another material than the one I first chose. The main problem, (as I anticipated) was that the coil spring wants to shift around and not stay centered. So I made a bit of an enclosure to hold the little buggers in place in my new design. The second problem was that the Nylon that Shapeways printed them in, is not nearly as high of a resolution as their web page would have you believe it is. The best resolution material that they have is still the Ultra or Extreme Detailed Frosted Resin Plastic. This stuff is far more brittle than the Nylon stuff to be sure. But, I've found that the Nylon stuff is almost impossible to drill and drill straight. And because of the printing limitations at Shapeways, any design for the Sharons's made by them, is going to have to have the pivot shaft drilled out for the mounting screw.
On another note though. After some fiddling around, I made a pretty important discovery. We don't really need a new coupler box design at all!!! What I found was this. If you use gel-super glue and super glue the coil spring to the back end of the Sharon coupler's shank and the shorten that spring appropriately. The whole lash-up will fit in the Accumate or Kadee 714 coupler boxes. You will also need a very short alignment pin at the back of the Kadee 714 box to slip the coil spring into. I also found that the 714 coil spring works better for this than the one supplied with the Sergent's Sharon's. IMHO, I think this discovery is a win/win for those wanting or needing a self-centering HOn3 Sharon coupler. It's less work and one less expense. Which means less time and money spent on this phase of rolling stock construction. As a side note here. From what I've found. Regardless of which way you go. The coil spring needs to be gel-super glued to the back end of the Sharon Coupler to get the self-centering effect. Write me if you ave questions. Dale Buxton
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Sergent coupler group
Rex Beistle
I model in both std & narrow gauge in HO scale. I do not have a home layout, but do have a traveling exhibition display named "HILLTOP STATION." I am an NMRA member and participate as much as possible with The Denver (CO) HO Model Railroad Club and the Estes Valley Model Railroaders in Estes Park, CO. This weekend the EVMRR are holding their annual Rails in the Rockies show in Estes Park. I am a life member in the Denver HO Model Railroad Club, located in the basement of The Colorado RR Museum in Golden, CO. This is the 50th anniversary of the Denver Club. Rex Beistle Longmont, CO
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Re: [SPAM] Re: [Sergent Engineering] The ball will not drop!
Tim L
I doubt you failed anything, the ball pocket cleaning isn't in the printed instructions for the EC87 or EN87, the online instructions do have a bit about it. The instructions for the RC87K, RN87K, RNB87K, RNC87K have a pic and explanation. I can't give you a direct link as Franks website still uses frames (really Frank?, I think it's past time to update) but just go to the Sergent website, click the instructions etc button, then the Click Here for Instructions link and then finally click the RC87K, RN87K, RNB87K, RNC87K link.
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Tim
On 16/02/2018 15:08, Ed Tibbetts wrote:
I was not aware of the pocket cleaning. I have been doing the pencil graphite in the ball pocket. Did I fail "reading for comprehension?", or is this just my learning curve? 😊
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Ed Tibbetts <tippytib@...>
I was not aware of the pocket cleaning. I have been doing the pencil graphite in the ball pocket. Did I fail "reading for comprehension?", or is this just my learning curve? 😊
Ed T
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Mark Lewis
Tim: I totally agree. Mark Lewis
On Feb 15, 2018 9:20 PM, "TL" <egroupstuff@...> wrote: I don't think that slightly magnetic tweezers are the problem, Zinc
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Tim L
I don't think that slightly magnetic tweezers are the problem, Zinc
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(what the coupler is made of) is not magnetic by itself and can not hold a magnetic charge (unless Frank is using some sort of alloy that does contain a metal that is magnetic) so the ball cannot stick magnetically to the casting so my guess is that the ball socket requires cleaning out. I just went looking on Franks site to find the info on cleaning out the ball socket etc but I can't find it. It's there somewhere though. Basically cut a bit off the sharp point end of the toothpics provided and twirl the toothpic in the ball socket, like you were drilling a hole in the ball socket but your using the toothpic instead of a drill bit. Using non magnetic tweezers is so the ball doesn't stick to the tweezers. - Tim
On 16/02/2018 12:48, Mark Lewis wrote:
Ed: Yes. I have a pair of nylon tweezers, to avoid the magnetism problem.
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These couplers look great!!
Rodney Peters
 ...and they operate just like the prototype. Rod Peters
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Re: The ball will not drop!
Mark Lewis
Ed: Yes. I have a pair of nylon tweezers, to avoid the magnetism problem. Also, are you thoroughly cleaning out the cavity where the ball rides, so there is no drag? I use a wood toothpick.
On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 8:24 PM, Ed Tibbetts <tippytib@...> wrote: Help! I'm new at this, and having a problem. After I assemble a coupler, but before I ACC it, when I turn it right side up, the ball will not drop and lock the coupler. I notice that my tweezers are slightly magnetic. Am I magnetizing the ball and causing it to hang? If I hold the magnetic uncoupler below the coupler, the ball still will not drop. Will not drop when I "thump" it too. :-(((
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The ball will not drop!
Ed Tibbetts <tippytib@...>
Help! I'm new at this, and having a problem. After I assemble a coupler, but before I ACC it, when I turn it right side up, the ball will not drop and lock the coupler. I notice that my tweezers are slightly magnetic. Am I magnetizing the ball and causing it to hang? If I hold the magnetic uncoupler below the coupler, the ball still will not drop. Will not drop when I "thump" it too. :-(((
Do I need brass, or plastic tweezers??? Ed T.
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