I recently found a cheap source of weight for my projects. The local gun shop got me some number 9 lead shot, 25 pounds for $20. This is a bag about the size of a 5 pound bag of flour. The individual pieces of shot are about .080" in diameter. I have used white glue to secure them in plastic bodies, put them into tubing and then melted them, and placed them into the mold for the Virginian style gondolas I have been casting from resin. I keep a large vitamin bottle on the workbench full and refill it when (if) it gets empty. The bottle I use holds almost 2 pounds of shot when full, so it will last quite a while. I highly recommend it, just be careful, as it is lead. [xx(]Hope this helps someone else.
You know what else is cheap for weight? Pennies. They literally cost a few cents for weight, and can be used in most freight car applications.
For closed freight cars pennies are hard to beat at twelve cents per ounce. The shot gun pellets are an excellent idea. I’d not thought of it, but I’ll check it out. Might as well save money where possible.
Thanks,
Tom Watkins
Pennies sound good, that’s my 2 cents[2c]. I’ve never tried weighing cars before, then again, I don’t have a working layout (yet)!
The cheapest weight I found comes with the car kit. or RTR car.
Gents,Save the unneeded weight and put the weight where it belongs on the rail by using metal wheels…[:D]
u may want to try a local sheet metal shop. They oftimes have 1/8 inch used sheet lead that u can get cheap or free. A 12" sq. can give u a lot of weight that is great for enclosed cars.
i bought a hopper with a nuts in it glued to the sides. looks kind of bad until i put the load on it then its alright.
i have 3 weights now from old cares that i’ve taken apart. so if i need to add weight this will be the way to go for me.
One of my train buddies works at a stamping plant (or something along those lines). They punch out little oval thingies of steel, which are perfectly smooth. The plant just throws them away, so my friend picked up a bunch of 'em and gave some to me (kept the rest for himself). The little stampings are perfect for weighting cars, as they are the right size, very heavy for their size, and CA to anything real easy. Not to mention free! If you have a steel stamping place in your town, you could probably get some scrap metal from them for free.
I use the weights for ballincing the tires on cars . You can find these on the ground around repair garages.rambo1…
Health warning! Always wash hands and use caution when working with any type of lead! rambo1…
Using metal wheels, and gun shot is the best combination I found.
Of course keeping with the NMRA standars an usual.
Adrian
Thanks fellas!
I’ve been wondering where I could get car weight materials at a cheap price.
I use plaster. I just pour it into tanks, covered hoppers and box cars. It fills all the voids. It is cheap and washes off the outside easily. To each their own however.
The cheapest source, literally pennies, for car weight material is literally… PENNIES!