OVEN CLEANER
I do believe that Zamac is a zinc compound, so it would be attacked by an acid such as vinegar. This would be easy to test: Remove the boiler/firebox, turn it upside down, and place a few drops of vinegar on one of the thicker portions. Acetic acid is a weak acid, so the boiler will not dissolve in your hands; however, if acid attacks the metal, you will notice small bubbles forming, as if the vinegar were soda pop (this may take a little while to obtain observable results). See bubbles? Don’t leave your parts in the acid!
A better answer to your question requires additional information: Zamac can be soldered with the right flux but rarely is; I assume you will add detail with some kind of cement. Here, compatability with the cement more likely is a narrower restriction (CAs will dissolve in acetone).
One of the primary dangers with at least some old zinc castings is that they will become brittle with age, warp, ultimately swell, then crack. I had a Varney Old Lady consolidation which did that to me – one moment, it was fine; the next, it was powder. The drivers swelled so much they eventually split the tires!
There is no way to stop this process – it is byproduct of the peculiar alloy of the zinc – but I do understand that acids in the environment can speed it up, so without knowing more, if it’s Varney, I’d leave the vinegar on the shelf. Zamac is much more porous than brass and probably will take paint over primer readily. The important thing to remember with Zamac is that pores which readily accept paint readily will accept oil – you have to get the
Well, the question is: How close are you to a Home Depot or Ace Hardware Store? Firms like these undoubtedly would carry acetone in the paint section, and vinegar can be had at the grocery (or perhaps even the pub, if the owner is cleaning it out). As for paints, confess I don’t know what they call Floquil down under, but the brand today is owned by Testors, which has a page on the web…
In general, I found product’s from Akane, and Kumata (KMT) to be poorer runner’s. wheras Katsumi (KTM) - Max Gray -Balboa - Westside - were superior. Don’t confuse KTM with KMT Early Samhongsa and Dong Jin (Korea) had teething problems. Any brand’s I would steer clear of? Yes. NJ, Nickel Plate, ALCO.
Randy - it depend’s primarily on whan will fit. Brass steam with Open frame motors can be tough to fit can motor’s into - without modification, like cutting away brass Open frame motor’s can sometimes use the same mounting holes as the original. Can motor’s run slower than O.F. and gearbox replacement may be necessary. Mounting can’s can be just Silicone rubber (round peg in a square hole).
#1 What fit’s? Go from there.
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Reading all these prescriptions for reconditioning old brass makes me wonder how I ever missed the boat. If the model has old paint, remove the boiler and tender trucks and soak the boiler and tender in ordinary brake fluid. This stuff is mild and non flamable and gives off no noxious fumes. It will usually work in a day or so and any residue can be scrubbed off with a toothbrush in a sink with warm water running over it.
Once your surfaces are clean and dry, spray them out with gray automotive primer like plasticoat. When that’s dry spray it out with Scalecoat I. It goes on glossy and decal ready. After you have decaled you can dullcoat but consider this: Real engines came out of the shop painted high gloss black. Once in road service grime, soot and rust
accumulated on top of the gloss and dulled it out. I’ve applied weathering over gloss with results that please me and, I think, better represent what happened to real engines after they’d been working. Fine details like trucks, bells and builders plates can be hand brushed. For class lights and markers I put a small drop of green, white,
amber or red paint in the dimple in lieu of a jewel ( I personally don’t like the way jewels glitter ). I can’t improve on the previous suggestions for degreasing the running gear except to add that acetone makes a good fluid for cleaning the motor’s rings. Use a Q-tip and try not to dislodge the brushes.
Randy, your question takes our posting into virgin territory, whether I focus on the maker or focus on the gears, but I will offer some brief observations:
My detailing standards are high, and I don’t hesitate to rip a brass engine completely apart before rebuilding it into something I want. So, to me, brass is brass – parts – and the real question to ask is whether I am starting with the correct foundational model. With Japanese brass, often one really does not have a choice and must make do with what’s available, regardless of manufacturer. And this works for me.
This might not work for you, depending upon your rebuilding skills and available tools. If you are one to be mortified at the thought of pulling the pipes and the pumps and the power reverse off your brand “new” engine, then my approach is not wrong, but it is not for you.
Having said that, I can give you my (limited) experience with Japanese manufacturers:
Tenshodo: Very good mechanisms and reasonable to very good detail (about as solid as they come from Japan).
United: Not as good as Tenshodo in either catagory but still very good – United locomotives often compromised detail accuracy for operational efficiency, or simply did not put the research into the detailing necessary for a superior model. Their NKP Berkshire is an example of the former; their UP consolidation the latter; but, I would rate their UP FEF-1nort
Wow !!!
My internet connection went down for a few days and I am now back up and running.
When I went to see if there were any replies to my question…well
This was a bigger response than I had imagined
Thanks to you all who posted a reply
The Methylated spirits I was talking about contains 95% V/V Ethanol
One of the 4-8-4’s is an old United brass SF
The other is a 4-8-4 SP daylight which I believe is made by Tenshodo
I removed the body and carefully washed the drivers with a soft tooth brush.
Neither loco would work when I first received them.
They are now running like a dream
I will now have to decide when and how to take them to the next level
Once again I thank you for you comments, this is a fantastic forum to share information even when you are miles from anywhere.
Regards Phil
Amen to that Phil . Theres no Ace hardware or Home depots here that I know of but there is a chain store called Bunnings that is going to open here at xmas which is a huge hardware wharehouse which will help my situation .Floquil and testers is available here but I have only found them in the major city hobby stores. Generally find Humbrol products easily. Regards Les
Just so it’s a “wharehouse” and not a “whorehouse”!
A previous reply re choosing a motor which fits is pretty much right on; there are some other factors one might want to consider if possible:
One consideration is cost: It is possible to get can motors very cheaply today – one guy on eBay will sell you ten of them for $50-$60, or $5-$6 apiece. Or, you can buy Sagamis or other Japanese motors and pay much more, as much as $40 each. I’m not sure one gets that much more for the $35 extra dollars; however, one thing one does get is a little more speed. The cheap eBay motors turn at about 8500-9000 rpm, whereas a Sagami will turn at as much as 16,000 rpm or as much as double. This means that, for a given gear ratio, the Sagami will cause the model to run almost twice as fast.
Now, here is where things get a little tricky: Some will want their locomotives to be capable of prototypical speeds, and some will prefer the loco to run slower because, let’s face it, most of us don’t own a bowling alley in which to set up our trains. And this is a matter of taste.
The math, however, is the same regardless of taste, so lets cover that:
Determine the actual diameter of the driver in scale inches, using a vernier caliper and a calculator. Multiply this number by 3.1416 to get the distance in inches the driver will travel per revolution. Divide by 12 to get feet per revolution. Now, divide 5,280 by whatever number you obtained to get revolutions per mile – the number of times the driver must turn completely to go one scale mile. So, for example, if the diameter of the driver is 63 inches, then the driver must revolve c. 320 times to go a mile.
Next, determine the top speed of