Heljan Hymek - Same tooling for all versions?

[wirey33]

Is there any difference in the tooling for the various batches of Hymeks released by Heljan ?

 

 

[BrushVeteran]

Is there any difference in the tooling for the various batches of Hymeks released by Heljan ?

There has only ever been one tooling for the Hymek and so far there have been six production runs encompassing twenty-six locomotives.

[adb968008]

There has only ever been one tooling for the Hymek and so far there have been six production runs encompassing twenty-six locomotives.

 

1/4 of the fleet ! impressive.

 

Suppose that ends this rumour of Heljans once use Rubber moulds.

[Rugd1022]

From a prototypical point of view the tooling only covers the class from D7034 to D7100, ie; those built with headboard clips on the cab fronts, but it's fairly easy to remove them and touch in the paintwork to cover D7000 to D7033.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Rugd1022

[dibber25]

1/4 of the fleet ! impressive.

 

Suppose that ends this rumour of Heljans once use Rubber moulds.

 

Never heard any suggestion they were rubber. I doubt you could injection mould in rubber as it's a high-pressure process. Some early tools made by manufacturers who were expecting short runs, were cut in aluminium but whether any of Heljan's were, who knows? (CJL)

Edited January 17, 2018 by dibber25

[BrushVeteran]

Never heard any suggestion they were rubber. I doubt you could injection mould in rubber as it's a high-pressure process. Some early tools made by manufacturers who were expecting short runs, were cut in aluminium but whether any of Heljan's were, who knows? (CJL)

None of Heljan's, were as far as I am aware, anything other than normal iron/steel castings. I think the original two batches of bodyshells were moulded in Denmark before production was concentrated in Hong Kong/China.

[adb968008]

Never heard any suggestion they were rubber. I doubt you could injection mould in rubber as it's a high-pressure process. Some early tools made by manufacturers who were expecting short runs, were cut in aluminium but whether any of Heljan's were, who knows? (CJL)

I was exaggerating, rumours can be exaggerated both ways, not just the popular ones.

I wasn’t seriously suggesting they were made in a jelly mould.

 

It’s been munched dozens of times here that Heljan tools are once use, disposable, limited life, call it what you want...

 

(I can search rmweb history to find examples, though many originate from one user, next time it pops back up i’ll Quote the above).

 

Fact is staring us in the face that it’s not true... there’s been quite a lot of class 17’s too over the years and I’d assume those are using the same tooling too ?

Edited January 17, 2018 by adb968008

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...Some early tools made by manufacturers who were expecting short runs, were cut in aluminium but whether any of Heljan's were, who knows? (CJL)

 Model Rail no 115 March 2008. Image of a Heljan plastic moulding tool on page 43, picture caption includes "aluminium tools are used for the injection moulding process."

 

It's in print, so it must be true...

Edited January 18, 2018 by 34theletterbetweenB&D