I resently repainted some BMann J&S car’s and found some short Kadee 821’s, since the car end sills are high I glued a 5/8"Lx3/16"Hx1/2"w chunk of bass wood to the bottem of the car’s then used 2 -1/2"- #2 wood screws to secure the couplers The end result was perfiectly mounted couplers.
Dave
Could you post a picture (or two)?
You’re gonna want to use longer screws, and make sure you go into the plastic. Do not rely on the glue to hold the coupler mounting block in place. If you don’t want to use longer screws, then use small nails to pin the wood mounting block to the frame of the car. You can easily go in from above, as the small heads of the nails blend in and look quite prototypical. (Atlas or Peco track nails work great.) However you do it, you simply do not want to rely on just the glue to hold the couplers in place. They take too much punishment, and the glue will fail over time. I’ve had a 100% failure rate on all of my glue-only coupler mounts over the years. Since switching to a sound mechanical mount, either via longer screws or pins, I’ve never had a mount fail.
Later,
K
The glue I used is E6000, I have just started using it to build building’s. when properly cured it is tuff to remove and has worked very well.
Dave
I’ve heard good things about that glue (and have used similar glues with good results) but just be forewarned. The glues I used were reputed to be top drawer, too. Some lasted 10 years before the joints failed, but they did ultimately fail. Coupler mounts are under constant shear force from the weight of the train pushing or pulling on them. If your trains are particularly long, the forces can be significant. A single pin or screw is often sufficient to transmit that force through the mount into the frame of the car itself, lessening the strain on the glue joint.
On passenger car or caboose platforms, you can file down the tip of the screw even with the decking and touch it up with paint to hide it.
Later,
K
It’s definitely good glue, but just call me paranoid, like in soldering wires, I love a good solid mechanical connection in addition to glue/solder.
That said, sometimes it’s not real practical or “cosmetic” to use screws/bolts.
The shear force is not usually the big thing, it’s the twisting motion trying to tear the joint apart. Using couplers with “zero offset” minimizes this situation.
Regards, Greg
Greg, check this out
the glue is on fully cured brown primer, and wes used at the bottem and where the ladder touch’s the walkway and rail.
Dave
Dave, like I said, “I believe ya!”… but I’m also of the school of adding a mechanical connection wherever possible.
When I put glue on paint, I seem to always pull the paint off! (I know you covered that by the “fully cured” statement, I did not miss that).
Of course, tomorrow I’ll wind up using just glue on something and have to come back and apologize! [:D]
Just call me old school, ha ha!
Regards, Greg
Greg, I’m an old dog that still can be taught new trick’s.
Dave ( 65 2/3 )
Ok I know I’m behind on this update But…
to add couplers on the drum head end I pulled lightly on the wires then held the coupler in place for a min or two.
this is the removed parts and the tools I used.
You don’t need a machine shop to do this convershion…
Dave, Having Fun
Okay, seeing your installation, It just reinforces my idea to pin the wood block from above. The physical forces in play are ripe for causing trouble. The angle from the coupler face to the back corner is around 45 degrees. That means the forces from the coupler have a very strong vertical component to them in addition to horizontal. That vertical component will want to pull the coupler down, away from the mount. I don’t care how good the glue is, you’ve got to counter that force. Accucraft’s 1:20.3 passenger cars have a very similar coupler mount in terms of the physics in play. That mount is molded into the end platform. Coupler mount failures were very quick to be reported.
If you’re not going to screw/pin the wood block physically into the frame of the car, then consider using a much longer block of wood as a support, on the order of two to three inches. This creates a much shallower angle between the coupler face and the back corner of the coupler mount, which translates into less of the force acting on the coupler wanting to pull down against the mount. More of the force acts parallel (shear force) but the greater surface area easily compensates for that.
I’d still pin it. I just don’t trust glue in critical joints like that. Two #60 holes in the platform and two Atlas or Peco track nails, and you’ve got a very solid mount. You will never see the heads of the pins once they’re in place.
Later,
K
K, Did I tell you, my RR is 50%level and 50% 1.5% or less grades, both long grades are 25/30 foot long. Also my minamum radious is 4ft, with the main line being 11.5 and 10 diamitor. I do plan on adding a #2 wood screw only if I have any mounting problems.
Dave.
First Run of the Delta Flyer 8/14/2010 w/vidio
The First Run of the Delta Flyer didn’t happen as planned. I fried a power transistor.
K, I added a Kadee coupler to the pilot on one of my Connie’s and used 2-40 screw. Picture latter after PCB repair.
Dave
Word of caution DON’T assume all Floor hight’s from the same manufactor are the same. I had to add 1/16" shims to two of the coach’s now all is well, no unwanted disconnects. The reson for the shims was larger wheels, raising the car higher, the shims lowered the coupler.
Dave
Hi guys,
I agree with both camps. When I make up a consist, there are usually cars in with body mounted couplers as well as a few truck mounted. I use 4-40 bolts to fasten the majority of my couplers, but again a few I fasten with glue (E-6000) alone. Here is the reason:
I majority of my running is on a club owned layout. We have three “main line” tracks with eight to ten foot radii. Three trains are running at the same time and in opposing directions.These trains can run for up to four hours without stopping.
Just like the protos, we have occasional wrecks. I have found that if I have a “breakaway” coupler here and there in the train it keeps the damage from overturned cars to a minimum.
It is a lot easier to glue the “breakaway” back than to repair a hole in the floor of a car.