andi4x4

Have you considered the possibility of self adhesive vinyl ? May be able to get some offcuts from a local sign maker. If you get some of the thinner variety your Cricut should be able to cope with it just fine. Regards, Andi

Hi Ian, Be careful using these. I have used them in the past for similar purposes only to find the adhesive dries out over time and they start falling off.

They all seem to be building High Body cars - probably to make room underneath for those ridiculous battery things ! Who invented electricity anyway ?! Ridiculous stuff ! 😅 I have been looking for another car myself - I currently have a Vauxhall Zaffira VXR (240hp) - cracking tool, but it is now 18 years old and needs some parts that are now obsolete. No body makes an equivalent vehicle today - nearest thing is a Mercedes B200d AMG line (160hp), but those are well out of my price range and they are due to stop making them shortly !

You could always pick up some cheap bodies on eBay to use as testbeds rather ending up with a loco you are not happy with ......

More of a Potty Shed than a Potting Shed....... I'll get my coat ...

I can see why that technique works, but, I prefer to watch others squirm under their promises, personally ! 😄

and another !

Looking good ! Wish I could find the time and mojo to get on with mine ! Still browsing the forums daily looking for mojo

Clearly a prime location for the spotters to gather, cameras in hand ! Looking good Andy, the bridge makes a big difference and breaks up the 'flatland' brilliantly... Andi.

Looking good, sir. More progress made at your house than mine in the last 6 months ! Happy New Year to you ! Regards Andi

In that case, I would change both the worm and the axle gear - Ultrascale stuff is good quality - you will see the difference if you swap both ! Regards ! Andi

You can get the same off-centre problem with a grub screw if the gear is too loose a fit on the axle as well as the slight wobble it can introduce. Back in the days when I smoked, I used a Rizla (other cigarette papers are available !) to shim a gear on an axle with slight success. Regards ! Andi

I understand the budget constraints, been there myself in the past. The nylon worm is a must, I feel, and will go a long way to reducing noise. Silence from the cheap, fold up gearboxes seems to be something of a unicorn, the best one can hope for, in my experience, is quiet - with a nylon worm and some careful set-up. Order yourself some nylon pinions - if you have no joy getting any, PM me your details, and I will get some for you and forward them on 👍 Regards ! Andi

You need to get rid of that visible sideplay in the axle - that will definitely be causing some of the noise. I think Roxey or Slaters sell frets of thin brass washers/shims in various fine thicknesses specifically for shimming axles and gearboxes. Failing that, you could make your own from thin card. Shim to remove all discernible sideplay in the axle but avoid adding resistance. Once refitted into the loco chassis, shim the axle between the gearbox sides and the chassis frames to ensure the assembly cannot move around in the chassis and insulate/isolate the motor body from the chassis, too, to prevent the transmission of vibrations into the structure of the loco - don't forget it is an empty metal box - it will amplify any noise being produced just like the body of a guitar does. I don't remember, Are you using a flywheel ? They can help smooth things out quite a bit, if you have space (and a double shafted motor) All that aside, it looks lovely and appears to run smoothly, Good job so far ! Regards ! Andi

No hassle - You can buy them like that as a commercial item! As Compound2632 suggested, cheap, efficient and easy to install. Lots to be found on that well known auction site !