My question is more towards the spring on the coupler head not the centering spring. I am considering using Walthers Goo to keep them in place. By the way, what is Walthers Goo? I heard it can be used for everything, but I have my doubts.
Thanks.
I would never put Goo on a knuckle spring, or much of anything else. Goo has a few uses, none of them envolve uses around rolling stock, except to maybe glue a weight down inside a car.
Bob
Goo is a very useful “contact cement”. It has excellent holding properties and was once one of the most commonly used hobby adhesives. I still use it for many things, but NOT on couplers…
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/904-299
I have never had a kadee spring “wear out” . If it has, I would simply replace the spring.
Walthers Goo is primarily a expense contact cement.And i would never put any type of glue on a knuckle spring. yes in a while you’re going to lose one but putting glue on them just invites poor operation of the coupler.
Back in the '50s, most of my Kadees had their knuckle springs secured with Pliobond - I still have a few of them around in work train service (downgraded, as the Kadees are the early type with the straight uncoupling pin), and yes, the Pliobond and the original springs are still in place. The key is to use very little cement - way less than a drop. Put a drop on the end of a toothpick or X-Acto #11 blade, then wipe almost all of it off, and then dab the remainder onto the spring retaining pin on both the knuckle and the coupler itself. Let the cement dry for 10 or 15 minutes, then re-install the springs. As long as the cement is only on those pins, the spring will be held in place and the coupler will function in its usual manner.
As for the springs wearing out, in a sense they can. If you park a train with the couplers compressed (the train not “stretched”), neither the knuckles nor the springs will be in their “relaxed” position. Over time, this will decrease the “springiness” of the knuckle springs, causing them to shorten and occasionally fall out.
Wayne
Do not use Goo to attach couples. Use 2-56 screws. Tighten the screw just enough to firmly hold the couple in place. Kadee has very good instructions for attaching couplers. I use the Kadee HO 711 old time couplers. I drill and tap a hole for 2-56 brass screws. I cut the screw just long enough so it does not poke up through a flatcar deck or the deck of an old time passenger car. I use a bottoming tap so I get enough thread. The screws that come with the couplers work fine also. I think they are #2 screws. I just drill a pilot hole first.
Rich
I am not talking about attaching couplers to cars. I am talking about attaching the springs on the knuckles to their respective posts.
Well you’ve obviously gotten the thumbs down on the Goo so no need to go there, in my experience that nothing is need on or to hold coupler springs but I will say that plastic springs do wear out fast and do break at great frequency so only use the metal springs you’ll be glad you did.
If you thinking about using Goo to hold them in place when assembling them why not just use a little dab of Vaseline to hold the spring in place. I know they can be a nightmare to replace some times, thats why I have a box full of couplers that need springs.
First off, thank you everyone for responding. I will not glue them after all. I have only experienced a handful of times of when the springs came off on the Kadees. I have a lot of Athearn products that came equipped with McHenry’s and those springs came off almost every time.
I got the idea to use Goo from the article in the September issue of MR. While I thoroughly enjoy reading MR, I have come to notice that most of their articles seem to use products from their major advertisers. While this is perfectly good business practice, we readers always seem to have alternatives that work best for us and that is one of the reason’s that make this hobby great.
Which model Kadees are you using? I have never had much of a problem with the knuckle springs in HO, S, or O.
Enjoy
Paul
What’s my advice? Don’t do it. (“It” meaning cementing the springs. They rarely depart, and glue is most likely to impede the springs’ effectiveness.)
Mark
I have used a tiny drop of contact cement on the rear spring holder nub to hold the spring in place with no ill effects.I find this cuts down on the springs flying off and they will at times fly off.
Actually I can’t remember losing the springs, but I suppose it has happened. My use of Kadees goes back to the late 50’s. I do notice when I buy a bulk pack of Kadees, several come with the springs detached in the packaging, but I have a little tool I bought many moons ago that makes putting springs back in easier. Of course, the older the eyes, the harder the task.
I also use G gauge Kadees on the garden railroad equipment, no problem to replace one of those springs, at least until I get to be 100 years old, then may have a problem with them.
Bob
I have had used glue to help the install of the springs. Now I am pretty good at doing it and don’t need the glue. It now normally only takes 2 try to install them.
I personally think what cause them to fly out is quick panic stops.
Cuda Ken
They still make those tools. I have one, and I use it, but I don’t think it’s anything more exciting than a small, thin-bladed screwdriver.
I have put a tiny amount of Aileen’s Tacky Glue on the end of the knuckle springs to keep them on the post while I squeeze down the spring and fit it to the other post. Tacky glue will hold immediately. It also never really quite hardens, so it can be removed years later if necessary.
But, I’ve never had these springs break. As for “wearing out,” they shouldn’t lose their spring tension, either. If you think that’s happening, the moving parts have probably gotten dirty and gummed up. It’s not likely to be the springs.
Hi!
I’ve used KD couplers for several decades, and cannot recall replacing a spring due to wear. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but I’ve never been aware of it.
While I have had a few instances of coupler springs disappearing, I suspect most of the instances were due to “man handling” or accidents. Once properly placed, they normally stay there for the duration, and I have never had to glue them in place.
Walther’s Goo seems to be strongly liked or disliked by folks I’ve run into. Personally, I have used it for years, especially for jobs that nothing else seems to work - including home repair projects. I do use it as a last resort, however, for it is not the easiest or prettiest adhesive to work with.
Mobilman44
Bob,Those little tools are worth their weight in gold dust.[tup]
As a amendment to my first post the rear nub is the one by the shank and therefore doesn’t hender the movement of the spring.
You can stretch the spring by pulling on the ends slightly. The spring will then stay on the coupler nubs better because it is longer. Check the spring installation before using the car. I have seen springs that are bent in a U shape just barely hanging on to the coupler bubs.
I have many two decade old Kadees running with the original springs. I’ve had a few couplers loose their springs due to operator error. But overall, once properly in place, the springs stay in place.
Nick
Must be nice…I salute you.[bow] [swg]
I been using KD couplers since the 60s and had several springs to fall out over the years and not from operator error…I have found several springs already off the coupler straight from the package.I suspect that’s why KD sells that spring pick…
Maybe switching cars causes some springs to weaken?
I suspect there is a lot of unknown factors why some springs never fall off and some do.