Jack Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 I've got some 7mm Slaters Wagon kits which have been built with the supplied wheels. I'd like to try and replace them with Haywood wheels, but i'm not sure if there is enough 'play' in the axle boxes to get them out. Has anyone had any success replacing wheels from these kits once built? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Jack, my experience is that once they're in, they're in, although I haven't had any reason to remove them. You might be able to spread the axle guards but I reckon it's risky. What's the matter with Slaters wheels? John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Hi Jack, I made a Peco Permanent Way van last weekend and didn't paint the supplied wheel sets ( stupid ! ). Gritting my teeth I did manage to remove them quite easily, obviously being really careful, and they went back into the bearings easily too. I haven't done this with a Slaters wagon but I imagine it is very similar. Hope this helps. Grahame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Grahame, Peco axle guards are very flexible and removing wheels from these isn't too difficult. Slaters (and Parkside) axleguards are made from a harder plastic. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Grahame, Peco axle guards are very flexible and removing wheels from these isn't too difficult. Slaters (and Parkside) axleguards are made from a harder plastic. John Thank you John useful information. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orford Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 I've had the wheels out...in...back out and back in again earlier today on wagons made by Dapol (2), Parkside and Slaters (2 - both ex-Coopercraft) whilst spray painting the wagons concerned and have to say I had no problems with any of them. It's just a case of taking extreme care when springing out the axle boxes....and gently ease one side/wheel out at a time, DON'T try to spring the axle guards so far out as to get the entire wheelset out in one go. However, a word of warning: In my experience the plastic used by both some O gauge wagon manufacturers (and Slaters in particular) tends to become extremely 'brittle' with age and I would only really be confident in doing this with new(ish) kits or wagons. (As a complete aside from this, the best O gauge wagon wheels I have yet encountered are those supplied by Minerva on their new GWR Iron Mink. FAR better than Slaters in my own opinion. Sadly however. so far as I know, not yet available on their own). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted December 23, 2017 Author Share Posted December 23, 2017 Jack, my experience is that once they're in, they're in, although I haven't had any reason to remove them. You might be able to spread the axle guards but I reckon it's risky. What's the matter with Slaters wheels? John Too shiney. I purchased some Haywood Wheels at Telford last year and they are so much better ... finer, and black. I have slaters four wagons which I built many moons ago and wanted to put Haywood's on them. However, when I tried to get the wheels out of one last nicer there was an ominous cracking sound, so I think I will leave it and get some paint today. If I'm using Humbrol Enamel, do I need a primer, or should I just put 2 coats of paint on? Ta Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 (edited) Well Jack, I've been known to chemically blacken Slaters wheels. However, my solution is getting very weak so I also paint them using acrylic. You can prime them using Tamiya brush on primer as I did with my latest NBR brake van project. I have painted wheels without primer which also works. I always paint my wheels, even after blackening) but not black. I mix up my own concoction of earth/dirt, black and rust. My weathered wagons here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118930-weathering-7mm-wagons/ Many have Slaters wheels except for the Dapol RTR wagons. Notice their colour. John Edited December 23, 2017 by brossard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted December 23, 2017 Author Share Posted December 23, 2017 What do you use to blacken the wheels? I have found some Brass Blackening stuff for the couplings, but not the wheels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 Carrs Metalblack works as does Micro Engineering track weathering solution. Really I think anything containing Selenium Dioxide (blue liquid) but there could be other formulations. The solution usually works on brass, nickel silver and steel. It can be used over and over but it's strength wanes with repeated uses. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orford Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 Brush-painting wheels is a right old hassle in my experience. I find it far easier to simply waft a 'weathering' paint solution (brown/dark grey/rust - always enamels) over the entire chassis and wheels using the airbrush and nowadays I do this automatically with ALL rolling stock, including locos. Only takes a few minutes. Job done. Something like this. Apply the 'dirt' first and then 'rust' to taste over the top once the dirt has dried. You can obviously vary the density of both, depending on how old/used you want your locos/stock to look. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 I use Birchwood Casey Gun Blue for Steel to blacken all my wheels Not a Slaters kit but they are Slaters wheels 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 It is certainly true that Slater's plastic W irons become brittle with age. It is much safer, therefore, to use the Birchwood Casey blackening procedure. And then paint over it. Of course if you do snap a Slater's W iron it isn't the end of the world as you can always replace them with a brass substitute. Or even a plastic substitute if you have some in hand from kits where you have gone down the springing or compensation route. These days the first thing I do with a second hand Slater's wagon kit is to take it apart if it needs interior detailing. (Most do.) This is a fraught task, and the better the kit has been put together the harder it is. But it's amazing what plastic weld and a bit of patience will put right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 I quite like the Slaters brass sprung W irons and have used them on several kits. Bill Bedford also does sprung brass W irons, however, I've found the steel spring wire supplied was horribly corroded in several packs. You raise a good point about second hand models and confirm my feeling that if you do buy SH, be prepared to rebuild it. Ten to one whoever built it initially doesn't subscribe to your standards. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Thanks everyone. Just spent a pleasant afternoon blackening up the wheels that had already been fitted to the kits. I've brought Haywoods wheels for the unbuilt kits though. I had painted the brass coupling hooks on all bar two of the built kits. So I thought I would try blackening the remaining too rather than painting them (I figured it may be a bit more robust). However, the Birchwood Casey Brass Black did not like blackening the brass ... it was fine on the steel wheels, but just wouldn't play with the brass. Very curious. It is new and used, so I doubt it could have been contaminated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall5 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) Did you clean the brass very thoroughly with fine emery/wet'n'dry or a fibreglass brush first? Ray Edited January 5, 2018 by Marshall5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 Did you clean the brass very thoroughly with fine emery/wet'n'dry or a fibreglass brush first? Ray That'll be another one to add to my list of rooky mistakes then ... I had wiped it over with a cotton bud and some meths, but clearly that wasn't the ticket. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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