2mm Products and Queries

[Izzy]

On 24/09/2023 at 08:59, 65179 said:

Hi Matt, Use 3-126 crankpins instead. These insert from the back. Add a washer (from your etch or use 3-129) over the crankpin before adding your coupling rods to space the rod away from the wheel face.

 

Before final fitting , check that the rear of each crankpin doesn't catch on the frames.

 

Simon

The only slight problem is that these are marked as WSL. Since 0.5mm has been/ is still the default crankpin size I don’t quite understand why given how many previous type wheels that use them will still be around. Otherwise anyone with previous wheels - such as me - will be hunting for alternatives once they disappear if I need replacements. 
 

Bob

Edited October 16, 2023 by Izzy

[Nig H]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

The only slight problem is that these are marked as WSL. Since 0.5mm has been/ is still the default crankpin size I don’t quite understand why given how many previous type wheels that use them will still be around. Otherwise anyone with previous wheels - such as me - will be hunting for alternatives once they disappear if I need replacements. 
 

Bob

I think the idea is that you can drill the hole in older wheels out to 0.75mm to use the new pins. Does that allay your concerns, Bob?

 

Nigel Hunt

[65179]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

The only slight problem is that these are marked as WSL. Since 0.5mm has been/ is still the default crankpin size I don’t quite understand why given how many previous type wheels that use them will still be around. Otherwise anyone with previous wheels - such as me - will be hunting for alternatives once they disappear if I need replacements. 
 

Bob

 

I'd missed that Bob. Oh that's not great, I use crankpins for all sorts of other things too.

 

Simon

[Izzy]

18 minutes ago, Nig H said:

I think the idea is that you can drill the hole in older wheels out to 0.75mm to use the new pins. Does that allay your concerns, Bob?

 

Nigel Hunt

Being old, awkward, and cranky, I’m afraid not. I fully understand the reasons why this has had to happen but I’m not taken with shouldered pins like this, it tends to create a weak point at the shoulder, a tendency for them to fracture at it. The 3-126 were nice in that you could ‘lock’ them into the wheel used in the way Simon indicated. But perhaps I’m also being rather lazy, it’s just something else I’ll have to machine up myself if the need arises.

 

Bob

[Chris Higgs]

8 hours ago, Nig H said:

Yes, Etched Pixels  (EP) = Ultima.

 

Well, sort of. Etched Pixels = Ulitima items originally created by Colin Albright, plus other things added later. Perhaps I should have said Albright era Ultima.

 

Chris

[Yorkshire Square]

Re crankpins. When the decision was made to move to wheels with 0.75mm crankpin holes (manufacturing issues drilling 0.5mm holes in stainless steel) there were substantially more crankpins (3-126 and 3-127) than remaining stock of Mk5 wheels. We now find ourselves with insufficient crankpins to cover the now much smaller stock of Mk5s.

 

Have members bought crankpins to stick in their gloat boxes with previously purchased Mk5 wheels for which they didn't have pins? Or do we have a large number of members buying crankpins to use for "other purposes"? I'm afraid I don't know.

 

I am getting quotes to restock 3-127 but as these will be a relatively small quantity (1,000s rather than 10,000s) don't be surprised when they are quite a bit more expensive than they have previously been. Sorry!

[Yorkshire Square]

22 hours ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

So by the EP white metal moulds is meant the former Ultima items?  If the moulds are still in good conditions those are excellent quality. I do hope P&D Marsh take up the option to produce them. 

 

Very good news that the plastic roofs will be made available again.

 

Chris

 

 

The issue with the Ultima moulds seems to be the old chestnut that each mould contains lots of different items, often substantially unrelated.

 

To cast, for example, a batch of say Gresley coach ends, which has just one impression in the mould, you either end up with large quantities of parts that you may or may not need or you're throwing a lot of stuff back into the crucible.

 

I don't know how Marsh might view that, but it seems like commercial suicide to me.

[Matt.S.]

@Yorkshire Square in my case I buggered up a few then got given a box of whitemetal centred wheels... all without crank pins. 

[Chris Higgs]

10 hours ago, Yorkshire Square said:

Re crankpins. When the decision was made to move to wheels with 0.75mm crankpin holes (manufacturing issues drilling 0.5mm holes in stainless steel) there were substantially more crankpins (3-126 and 3-127) than remaining stock of Mk5 wheels. We now find ourselves with insufficient crankpins to cover the now much smaller stock of Mk5s.

 

Have members bought crankpins to stick in their gloat boxes with previously purchased Mk5 wheels for which they didn't have pins? Or do we have a large number of members buying crankpins to use for "other purposes"? I'm afraid I don't know.

 

I am getting quotes to restock 3-127 but as these will be a relatively small quantity (1,000s rather than 10,000s) don't be surprised when they are quite a bit more expensive than they have previously been. Sorry!

 

Well I have a lot of pre-Mk5 wheels which I have probably not got crankpins for. Fortunately 0.5mm brass wire will do the job. Unlike the new wheels where it seems you will have to buy the crankpins as they are in effect shouldered?

 

Chris

[yaxxbarl]

1 hour ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

Well I have a lot of pre-Mk5 wheels which I have probably not got crankpins for. Fortunately 0.5mm brass wire will do the job. Unlike the new wheels where it seems you will have to buy the crankpins as they are in effect shouldered?

 

Chris

Chris,

 

I think steel dressmaking pins may do as well? On an old Fencehouses J72 kit that I looked at Bob Jones recommended them for the crankpins. Steel also has an advantage of being a lot less malleable, and therefore more rigid, than brass.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Nigelcliffe]

On 16/10/2023 at 12:02, Nig H said:

I think the idea is that you can drill the hole in older wheels out to 0.75mm to use the new pins. Does that allay your concerns, Bob?

 

 

Writing as the designer of the current wheel range, its not something I'd recommend.  The stainless is extremely hard, and eats drill bits.  (Which is why they've changed to 0.75 on the newer ones, the cost of drill bits for the 0.5mm hole was getting silly). 

 

 I note Tony has indicated above that he is seeking the return of the proper 0.5mm crankpin.  

 

- Nigel

[Nig H]

12 hours ago, Nigelcliffe said:

 

Writing as the designer of the current wheel range, its not something I'd recommend.  The stainless is extremely hard, and eats drill bits.  (Which is why they've changed to 0.75 on the newer ones, the cost of drill bits for the 0.5mm hole was getting silly). 

 

 I note Tony has indicated above that he is seeking the return of the proper 0.5mm crankpin.  

 

- Nigel

I was suggesting drilling the old brass wheels to 0.75mm to take the wider crank 

pins. Not necessary if 0.5mm pins are brought back into stock.

 

Nigel Hunt

[Nig H]

On 16/10/2023 at 17:14, Chris Higgs said:

 

Well, sort of. Etched Pixels = Ulitima items originally created by Colin Albright, plus other things added later. Perhaps I should have said Albright era Ultima.

 

Chris

Thanks Chris, I'd not appreciated the distinction. I agree with you about the quality of those castings. Was it you and me buying up large stocks of them at Warley one year when we heard Ultima might stop selling them?

 

Nigel Hunt

[Chris Higgs]

1 hour ago, Nig H said:

Thanks Chris, I'd not appreciated the distinction. I agree with you about the quality of those castings. Was it you and me buying up large stocks of them at Warley one year when we heard Ultima might stop selling them?

 

Nigel Hunt

 

Not me. I did build up a large stock, but by visiting Colin at home at  one point.

 

Chris

[Lacathedrale]

Good morning, is the wheel-turning service still available for those who have diesel locos that don't have drop-in wheelsets?

[Nigelcliffe]

5 minutes ago, Lacathedrale said:

Good morning, is the wheel-turning service still available for those who have diesel locos that don't have drop-in wheelsets?

 

No.   Unless someone wants to step up and offer such a service ?  

[EHSUK2001]

A new range of drop-in wheelsets and components to suit Dapol diesels/electrics with pin-point axles will be introduced within the next few months. These have been developed as a private project by a couple of Association members. 
 

Edward S

[Lacathedrale]

2 hours ago, Nigelcliffe said:

 

No.   Unless someone wants to step up and offer such a service ?  

Thank you, Nigel! I have a lathe, but I think it’s far too big and I have no experience of turning anything so small! 
 

is there an alternate solution, or is this going to be my first time experimenting with turning down wheels 😂

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Lacathedrale

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said:

Thank you, Nigel! I have a lathe, but I think it’s far too big and I have no experience of turning anything so small! 
 

is there an alternate solution, or is this going to be my first time experimenting with turning down wheels 😂

 

If it’s for Dapol with pin-points I’d wait for the new parts coming. For it’s not just about skimming the rear of the wheels but then shifting them on the stub axles to get the correct b-t-b that is needed. And because of those pin-points you can’t just tap them along with a hammer etc. you need a reverse type centre punch with a central bore so the force is on the shoulder.

 

Bob

[Lacathedrale]

23 minutes ago, Izzy said:

If it’s for Dapol with pin-points I’d wait for the new parts coming. For it’s not just about skimming the rear of the wheels but then shifting them on the stub axles to get the correct b-t-b that is needed. And because of those pin-points you can’t just tap them along with a hammer etc. you need a reverse type centre punch with a central bore so the force is on the shoulder.

 

Bob

 

I do apologise, @Izzy but being a little out of the loop I'm not sure what forthcoming parts you're referring to? I was thinking of the (aged) Dapol 73 which IIRC has no drop-in equivalent and is unlikely to get one?

Edited October 30, 2023 by Lacathedrale

[2mm Andy]

1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said:

 

I do apologise, @Izzy but being a little out of the loop I'm not sure what forthcoming parts you're referring to? I was thinking of the (aged) Dapol 73 which IIRC has no drop-in equivalent and is unlikely to get one?

 

The parts that Edward mentioned above?

 

Andy

[Lacathedrale]

Oh I'm so sorry, thank you @2mm Andy and @EHSUK2001 - it looks like the thread hadn't updated when I put my first reply to Nigel, and then when I clicked back in it scrolled below Edward's message.

 

 

[DavidLong]

The Dapol 73 has 'conventional' wheels with wiper pick-ups. Pointy axles first appeared on the Hymek I believe. I haven't seen some of the more recent productions of the 73 but I doubt that the axle arrangements have been changed.

 

David

[SandHutton]

I can confirm that the latest dcc Dapol 73s have unchanged wheels, still supporting wiper pickup.

[Lacathedrale]

Thank you - so I understand the new society products mentioned above are for those Dapol locos which have the pinpoint bearings as part of the pickup system?

 

If that's the case then I may be able to trade for a Class 73 chassis which has turned down wheels and DGs fitted already, which solves that problem - but I also have a slightly younger (but still quite old) Dapol 33 which presumably will have the same need for wheel turning?