I am in the process of adding fiber optic ditch lights to an Athearn HO GP38-2. My plan is to run the FO from the ditch light housings to the interior of the shell and then into some sort of housing that will hold them securely in place and also act as a shroud for the LED light source. There is a space available under the steps that I would use - pack the epoxy in the void, insert the FO and insert and remove the LED leaving a cavity. The LED will be attached to the loco frame and the shroud/housing to the loco shell and the 2 would mate when the shell is secured. That’s my plan anyway…We’ll see…
I was looking for something to use to construct the shroud/housing. I saw the Loctite Epoxy Putty at Lowes and it seems like it might work (sandable,drillable, easy to work). My question to the group is this - does anyone have experience with this product - good or bad? Is it likely to damage the shell? Does it give off a significant amount of heat while curing? Basically anything I should consider before making the leap.
Thank you all for your help and responses.
If this is the familiar green stuff, I’ve used it for many things over the years, including as a stronger substitute for modeling putty. It’s commonly used to balance motors by sticking a small amount to the windings on the light side of armature. I’ve never encountered any epoxy that radiates heat while curing, or that attacks plastic, so it should be safe. If you’re unsure, test a little bit of it before using it in the loco.
If you want heat, try pouring thin CA into a paper towel… yikes!
It is still a 2 part epoxy. Loctite has a couple different versions for different applications. The most typical one at the stores is just the two little tubes, and you mix equal parts well and put it on. It does produce a little heat, but is you accidentally put in a little too much catalyst it will get real hot. That is the white goo, if you get it. It has a consistency similar to most epoxies; not runny but not playdough. It is somewhat gooey, so filling a hole and trying to put a light in and remove it will not work well. You would be best off to let it cure a bit and use a drill bit by hand to get the hole in. This stuff is pretty tough when allowed to fully cure, as it has lots of additives in it and is regularly used in automotives, since it is machinable and is capable of being tapped. I have used this type on a bowser locomotive, as it works well on the zinc boilers and can be shaped and sanded while still retaining a lot of strength. There is other types of epoxies which come as a bi-colored playdough looking stick. One simply cuts a chunk off and kneeds it to use. It gets warm, but shouldn’t cause any issues with melting plastic, and you may get away with your plans to insert and remove the led. Just remember that you will have a film of it on your hands after kneeding, so don’t touch the shell.
The stuff I was looking at was the playdough like stuff. I figured it would be stiff enough to hold the shape I need. Thanks for the pointer on the residue.