General FAQ's
I cannot get my pinion/worm gear off the axle
My wood stain is acting strangely
What is the proper weight for a HOn30 car?
My files are getting clogged from white metal / pewter
I cannot get my pinion/worm gear off the axle
Many questions arise when pinions are to be moved from one motor to another, or when adding a new pinion.
Gears are usually press fit from the factory, not glued.
Here are a few guidelines;
Use a gear puller with care when removing pinions. A common error is to use force when the axle protrudes trough the pinion.
The puller will then slip and break. Start with a larger bolt in the puller in such cases.
Various other methods can be used to remove the gear, but be prepared to scrap the old motor
Using a torch to heat the gear will widen it, and can ease the removal.
Using heat can also loosen glue.
Examine the removed gear and adjust the worm with a needle file, then polish with emery paper.
If the fit is tight when you want to insert a new gear, put the motor in the freezer for an hour, and heat the pinion with a toch. Plan carefully as you only have
a few thenths of a second to put the pinion in place
If the fit is loose, use blue Loctite or similar to fasten it, as this is reversible
For the Bachmann 0-4-0, NWSL Steel Worm 0.4MOD x 6mm x 1.5mm bore #50400-6 can be used as a replacement. It is 1mm larger than the original, so be prepared for some shimming of the motor.
My wood stain is acting strangely
Staining wood is a method to either get the look of another sort of wood or aged wood.
Make sure that the wood is glued after the stain is added, or part of the wood soaked with glue will not take the stain properly.
Sometimes sheets can have porous areas where the stain will create dark patches across the grain.
This can happen when the grain of the wood is at angles to the scribing. One solution is to add a light gray auto primer on the sheet before staining.
What is the proper weight for a HOn30 car?
This has been discussed from various angles, but the consensus seems to be that follwing a compromise from the NMRA standards only works for
heavier diesels. Smaller steamers need lighter cars. Some say as light as possible. As of today there is no defined standard,
but a few guidelines should be followed to avoid derailments.
Concentrate on the trucks so that the cars do not wobble.
Using cars with similar weight / length ratio is considered a good idea, but should be dicussed if you
visit friends carrying your cars, or travel to meetings with modules and rolling stock.
My files are getting clogged from white metal / pewter
After some use, your needle files and cutting discs can get clogged from working with white metal which is an alloy of tin and lead.
"Diamond" files often work best. Also, adding some regular blackboard chalk or beeswax to the file or grinding wheel can help.
Several methods can be used to clean the files - best known is a file card, similar to a wire brush with very short wires.
Another reported success is a piece of sheet brass about 1/16 thick pushed in line with the teeth of the file (across the file).
It will remove even hard debris.
The file teeth will create grooves in the brass and the brass will reach to the bottom of the teeth.
A more radical solution is a bath in battery acid, but follow all the precautions you can think of - this is dangerous stuff! Don't try this at home..