Quatering help please

[ikcdab]

Many years ago I bought a comet chassis to go under a mainline collet goods 0-6-0 body.

I had bought what I think are ultrascale wheels, I'm not sure,  but they have round ended axles and round holes in the wheels (unlike the romford square ends etc).

Having found the bits in a box,  I now want to complete the chassis.  

How on earth do I quater them?  The wheels are not a massively tight for on the axles so I need to use superglue to fix them,  but then I need to get it right first time. 

I can split the coupling rods so I can do it as an 0-4-0 to begin with.

But how do I get it right, especially the first wheelset? Does it have to be exactly 90 degrees?

All help and advice on the process will be gratefully received!

Ps. I don't have a quatering jig and unless they are cheap, no need to buy one. But I might be able to make one....

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by ikcdab

[Brassey]

Did you buy the wheels new from Ultrascale in a packet?  The purpose of the question is to establish whether they have been used.  New Ulatrascale wheels should be reasonably tight on the axles but not so tight as Gibsons.

[Barclay]

Set up a datum axle, normally the powered one. Approx. 90° is fine, although I think very slightly more is better than very slightly less. For the other 2 axles fix one wheel on each and you will see that only 2 wheels need critical adjustment. Doing one axle at a time push a wheel half on then visually check it's about right - it's quite easy to see if the crankpin is in the same place as the one next to it. Now pop on the rods, and you do need a little running clearance. Adjust your half-on wheel until the 2 axles run smoothly with the rods in place. Then some adhesive in the hole where the axle is only half on and carefully push the wheel fully onto the axle against a back to back gauge. When set do the next axle.

 

You might want  to try loctite 603 instead of superglue. It's not a glue, but simply expands in the presence of steel creating a tighter fit.

[30368]

I have not used Ultrascale wheels but often use Alan Gibson wheels that have a similar interference fit. I usually fit the seconf wheel on the axle at 90 degrees as close as possible using spokes to assist in positioning. Final adjustment is possible after the back to back gauging is completed, i.e. you can twist the wheel slightly to achieve as close as possible to 90 degrees.

 

I see that Barclay has offered some advice as I write this - I agree with the approach suggested. One always strives for accuracy but quartering is not as critical as one might imagine - go for it!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Michael Edge]

Ultrascale wheels aren't usually tight enough on the axles, I would recommend knurling the ends of the axles instead of using superglue or Loctite. It's easy enough to do - just roll the axle end with a fairly rough file. The quartering advice above is more or less what I would have said, the main thing is to work your way along the loco setting each axle in turn and only adjust the next one, don't go back.

[Bucoops]

GW models does a great quartering tool.

[ikcdab]

Thanks for the replies. Although I bought the wheels new, it was a long time ago (>20 years) and any packaging is long since gone. I have played with the wheels over the years and hence probably why they are not as tight as they once were.

Ill give it a go! 

 

[Brassey]

The problem I have encountered with Comet chassis is that, (mine example being the Dean Goods) they have half-moon shapes rising above the frames that mirror the wheels and fit inside the splashers.  Whilst prototypical, these shapes prevent you seeing through the spokes for the purpose of quartering as described above.  Also they are a great hinderance in getting a good hold of the wheel to move it.  I have broken a Gibson wheel at the spokes trying to!

 

As Comet chassis can be sprung, with their own horn guides,  it might be an idea to make all the axles removable and quarter these off the frames individually .  This is what I did on my second Comet chassis but I also have a GW wheel press.

 

In all of these recommendations, you will have to fit the drive train first before quartering which does complicate things.  

[Guest WM183]

You can simply use a small square (like a machinists square) to eyeball the position of the crankpins on each side. I've quartered loads of engines this way.