Does anyone know of a supplier of Brass pulleys. I am looking for either a 8 or 10mm to use for the guides on the lift.
So far everything I have found online comes from across the pond and shipping is expensive. I only need 6 or 8 pieces.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Harold. `
Have you looked at model shipbuilding supplies? I did a quick check and found some wood pulleys that might work for you. They might have brass ones, but I didn't see any.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
That is what I was checking but did not find any in the US.
Do you have any websites?
Harold
Harold,
I was doing some searching myself and most of them are in the UK..I wonder why that is? US can't make brass pulleys? Anyway,I ran across this place and although they are based in the UK.they have distributors,here, TECHNOBOTS www.technobotsonline.com pulleys&cams,5,6,7,8mm pulleys..Maybe,they can help...In the mean time I'll keep looking,,,LET US KNOW,IF YOU FIND ANYTHING..
Cheers,
Frank
Thanks Frank
This is what I keep finding. If I have to I will but I hate to pay those kind of shipping cost. I can't beleive the US doesn't procuce brass pullys.
This may sound a bit nuts but don't ignore the pulley like parts that come with musical instrument strings, such as electric guitar strings
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Electric-Bass-Guitar-Nut-Strings-Retainer-String-Tree/563145971.html
There are also some intriguing parts that go into a piano
Some jewelers also create tiny pulleys
http://www.rockclimbingjewelry.com/charms/pulley.htm
Dave Nelson
Or maybe some of the pulleys that come with logging equipment, and crane parts. I've also made some parts by chucking a piece of sprue into a drill, like a lathe, and using files to shape what I was looking for.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi Or maybe some of the pulleys that come with logging equipment, and crane parts. I've also made some parts by chucking a piece of sprue into a drill, like a lathe, and using files to shape what I was looking for. Mike.
Mike,
Your suggestion,is fine for a static display,,but,this has to be,functional with cable moving,all the time,,plastic,will wear out..
Found a couple more,,,,http://hardware.scalemodelco.com/haren/main.html
and,,,,http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/,,,,,,Maybe,worth a try..
I have a little more time to look but I might have to go to plan B.
As you may remember from my original drawings I made the lift wheels with 2 HO train wheels glued with the flange on the outside. This caused a slight v in the center. Since we scale the lift down I might go with the same concept except with N SCALE wheels.
I would prefer real pulleys but what the heck.
Keep thinking. I appreciate it.
I agree,with you,,rather than sitting on our hands,go with the N-Scale,wheels,,,After all don't we have the,''Best Mechanical Engineer's'' working on this project?? Heh,Heh...
Cheers,,,I'll keep looking,,
OK .Then try this one. What is the diameter of the center hole of an N Scale wheel.
I will have to get new axles that the wheekls can spin on.
I don't have any,N-Scale axles,but I'll bet,whatever the size, I'm sure you can find a brass,tube that will fit...
Frank, your right about anything plastic. Just tossing out some ideas, as I'm always digging through my various parts and "junk" boxes, looking for something, that will work for whatever project I'm on. Another idea, I have a couple of the wrecking cranes, both of which are fully operational, and they have metal pulleys.
Just thinking out loud.
Thats my hope. I still can't beleive no one in the US carries the pully.
Here's a site a came across a few weeks ago, looking at various gears. According to their phone number, their brick and mortar store is in NJ. :
http://www.hobbymasters.com/contact-us.aspx
mbinsewi Here's a site a came across a few weeks ago, looking at various gears. According to their phone number, their brick and mortar store is in NJ. : http://www.hobbymasters.com/contact-us.aspx Mike.
Thanks for your help,,,I just checked,they don't have what Harold,needs...
hwolf....I still can't beleive no one in the US carries the pully.
I find it hard to believe, too, but I believe I suggested, in your original thread, to check out the ship-builders supplies either at your LHS or on-line.
If you want pulleys suitable for the job, why not simply make your own? Determine the approximate outside diameter needed, then buy a length of brass tubing of that diameter. Buy a second length of tubing in the next smallest diameter, and a length of piano wire similar to that of the inside diameter of the smaller tubing. Clean the inside surface of the larger tube using fine wet/dry sandpaper (use it "dry"), and do likewise to the outer surface of the smaller tube. It's unlikely that you'll be able to clean the inner surface too far into the tubing, so you'll probably be able to make only two or three pulleys at a time. Apply a little flux to the outer surface of the smaller tube and insert it to the necessary depth into the larger tubing, then heat and apply solder. You can use either a good-size soldering iron or a propane torch, similar to that used by plumbers.
Cut off the protruding portion of the smaller tube, then shorten the larger tubing so that only the double-walled portion remains. Insert a similar length of piano wire into the tubing (this will prevent the tubing from being crushed by the chuck) and chuck one end into a drill. Clamp the drill into a bench vise, then, with it running at medium speed, use a cut-off disc in your Dremel tool to cut a groove for the cable. Don't allow the cut-off disc to go any deeper than the thickness of the outer tubing, and when the groove is satisfactory, use the cut-off disc to cut the pulley from the stock material. Your initial efforts may be less than satisfactory, but should improve with a little practice. Work slowly and be sure to wear eye protection, both to safeguard against a shattered disc or the possibility of a flying pulley. Create more double-walled stock as required.
You can use the cut-off disc to make shafts for the pulleys from the piano wire, then mount the pulley assemblies either in fabricated styrene pillow blocks or wire hangers, depending on the design of the support towers.
Wayne
Wayne,
I like your idea,,whether or not,Harold does,that is his decision...
Try googling "Miniature pulleys." I found a number of sites that way.
I checked on a great deal of the model boat builders as well as plane as you suggested with no results.
As far as building my own I think it might be beyond my skill level. I couple of treads up I commented that I might go to N Scale train wheel glued with the flange out. It also gives me the hole for the axle.
Well, a quick google search yielded some HO scale stuff HERE and an assortment of shipbuilders' pulley wheels HERE.
Try taking a plastic wheelset and remove one wheel. Put that end in a drill chuck and turn it on. Use a file to take off the flange and get rid of the slope on the wheel treat. Then, take a hacksaw blade and use that to create the groove.
Notice I said plastic. That's a lot easier than metal, and cheaper. But if this works out, you can do it with a metal wheel. It will just take longer.
The plastic parts on the (I think) Faller ski lift we used to have on the layout never wore out. The only pulleys were at the top and bottom, and were fairly large, the intermediate towers has something along the lines of a contact shoe that the cable ran over yet had clearance to the outside fo rht emechanism that attached the gondolas to the cable.
That said, you cna always use a piece of brass rod, chuck it in a drill, and file a pulley groove. Back in the day, Mel Thornburg used to turn fittings to scratchbuild brass locos, using a hand drill and a file (he did cheat at times and use a lathe, but he also did it bty hand to validate that the process WOULD work - it just would take longer than having a lathe to use, but also a whole heck of a lot cheaper).
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I found that site yesterday. The problem is that the shipping is expensive. I realize we are not in a cheap hobby but I hate to pay that kind of shipping
Mr Beasley
Why not the n scale with the flanges attached? This also forms the groove in the center. You don't seem to like that idea.
The N scale wheels should work fine, but they'll be over-width compared to Mister B's suggestion. I think that you're over-thinking this. Several solutions have been proffered, so why not simply pick the one which best suits your abilities and budget and make a couple to see how they look and if they function as needed. Often, doing so, even when it doesn't work-out as planned, may suggest other possibilities.
Thats exactly what I am planning on doing. I will be going to the hobby shop on monday if I don't find any pullys before then.
Thanks
I just checked out those two sites that Wayne,provided,and the first one Crow something or other,is based in Rode Island and they state free shipping,in the US.....The other,,I joined,with a free PDF,catalog file,, I will be getting free shipping,, Wayne,THANKS,,YOU just woke up,another side of my Modeling,,ship building...LOL...
Forget the Crow River,one,that is in RI,I just spoke to the owner on the phone and He said the pulleys he has,would be too soft,for what your use would be,nice guy,,He did give me another place,that would have what you need,he only had their name,,,Blue Jacket Shipcrafters...based in Maine....
I checked out Blue Jacket and they do not appear to have what I need. I called them but they had already left for the day.
I am enclosing a couple of pic of the newly finished gondolas