I am sure I am not the first one to ask this question so please forgive me but it seems like an inherent trait of the Athearn Blue Box cars that if you remove and replace the trucks more then once or twice the screw hole becomes stripped out.I don’t really want to put any type of glue in the hole although it would efinetly hole things in place it may make it a tad difficult to ever get it back apart again.
So whats your fix?
i like to run a 2-56 tap through the hole before i mount the truck. you can get 2-56 brass screws for a few cents each in bulk from several companies on the web.
if the hole is already stripped out, you might try glueing a piece of plastic over it inside the car body and then drill and tap that to hold the screw.
grizlump
Two things come to mind.
First, you could use a glue that would not completely adhere to the screw, only to the plastic. It should let go of the screw before it does any damage.
Second, I have seen where folks have drilled out the hole. Glued in a piece of styrene rod, then drilled and tapped a new hole.
That’s what comes to mind at the moment.
Good luck,
Drill a 1/8" hole and cement 1/8" evergreen tubing into the hole. Leave the car dry overnight and install trucks with a self taping 2-56 screw. The hole in the tubing is just the right size.
When a hole gets stripped, I put a drop of liquid super glue either on the threads of the screw or in the hole. Then I put the screw in. The super glue releases from the screw fairly easily, leaving new threads behind.
The proper repair is as mentioned by reaming/ or drilling out the hole and add styrenerod or stretched sprue. ( If you heat a sprue and pull to stretch, you will have a tapered styrene piece that simplifies sizing the repair)
I don’t seem to have any of this stripped hole problems that you mention. I have found that Athearn hoppers are supplied with too long a screw and there is a tendancy to want to overtighten, hence stripping the hole. Also, many times the “bolster” lug may be taller than the shoulder recess of the truck and a tightened screw will not tighten the truck. This also lends to a tendancy to want to overtighten and strip out the threads. If this happens, just file a small amount off the bolster lug to allow proper adjustment.
Most Athearn 40/ 50ft box along with a fewe others require the Kadee “red” fiber washer the raise the car for proper coupler height. There shouldn’t be any truck tightening issues w/ these.
Not saying that you’re too heavy handed while adjusting these screws just throwing out some obervations I have mad over the years and building and running hundreds of pieces of Athearn rolling stock. My biggest gripe is that snap on metal coupler box cover, have cut off many that we not repairable any more…
The methods already outlined by the previous posters are good ones for repairing stripped-out holes. However, in the interest of prevention of the problem, might I offer the following procedure for your consideration:
Remove the truck as usual.
When replacing the truck, place the truck on the bolster, then carefully place the screw in the hole, without putting any downward pressure on it.
Engage the screwdriver in the slot, again without putting pressure on the screw. Carefully, with very light pressure turn the screw counter-clockwise untill you feel it drop down into the hole a bit.
Now tighten the screw as usual.
This procedure retains the threads already cut into the hole, instead of trying to cut new ones. In fact, you should use this procedure whenever replacing any screw in any hole, regardless of the material or manufacturer.
Get the smallest size Evergreen Styrene strip you can find… I think they actually makd a scale 1x2. Simply put a small piece of that in the hole then run the screw into it. Simple.
dlm