Car weights

[Anonymous]

I happened upon an ideal solution at a NAPA store. They have 1/4 oz weights for wheel balancing that have a sticky back tape. These lead weights can be cut apart with tin snips, or just bent back and forth until the split. Two together fit nicely near each end of an Athearn car floor. They don't come loose when the car is on its side in the box. The weights come in a strip about a foot long. That is quite a few for not much money.

[jfugate]

I've found an even cheaper way to weight closed HO model RR cars - pennies. At about 10 per ounce, you can't find any cheaper weights. I super glue them onto the car floor before I put the shell on over it.

[Anonymous]

Joe, I'll have to admit that your idea is hard to beat. Now I know what to do with the 1/2 gallon bottle of pennies that I've accumulated. Better than trying to roll them!

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

I've found an even cheaper way to weight closed HO model RR cars - pennies. At about 10 per ounce, you can't find any cheaper weights. I super glue them onto the car floor before I put the shell on over it.

Use a more complient adhesive, super glue joints between two things together with different thermal expansion rates will pop under cold and hot conditions. Goo, silcon chauk, epoxy or even double sided tape (carpet or foam types) will work better. Make sure you clean both surfaces well - 70% isopropyl alcohol is good for this. And do not get your fingers prints on the surfaces to be joined.

[jfugate]

Yes, good point. I use the superglue because I've always got lots of it on hand and its fast. But once in a while I get "rattling pennies" inside my rolling stock. So your suggestions are good ones.

Especially the double-stick tape. I like the ability to change my mind later which the tape affords. I've had occasion to need to move some weights if I decide to try to add underbody details, etc to a car and I need to drill into it. Taping down the weight makes it possible to rearrange things later if I ever need to.

[IRONROOSTER]

I use white glue, just pour it over the pennies. This forms a sheet that is tight to the sides, First car I did this to was ten years ago - no trouble.
Enjoy
Paul

[Trainnut484]

I've been using pennies and fishing sinkers for weights for years with great results. My piggy-backs have turned into piggy-banks [:o)][:D].

Take care,

Russell

[Anonymous]

Pennies don't fit too well in N-scale cars, so I've been using wheel-weights for awhile now, and they do fit. Sometimes, you can get a big load of them for free from the floor of a tire shop.

---jps

[Anonymous]

How thick are these wheel weights? and what shape are they?I think I know what you're talking about but the ones I'm thinking of are odd shaped chunks of metal

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jfugate

I've found an even cheaper way to weight closed HO model RR cars - pennies. At about 10 per ounce, you can't find any cheaper weights. I super glue them onto the car floor before I put the shell on over it.

You can get 3 oz. of buckshot at your local gun shop for 1 oz. of pennies. A 25 lb. (400 oz) bag of shot is about $13.00. 10 pennies to an ounce for 400 ozs. is $40.00.

Make a small puddle of white glue and sprinkle on the shot. When that's dry, seal 'em in place with a second coat of white glue.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by superwoody

How thick are these wheel weights? and what shape are they?I think I know what you're talking about but the ones I'm thinking of are odd shaped chunks of metal

Here's a link with picture of adhesive back weights. http://wheelweights.ca/wheel-weight-adhesive.htm

[Anonymous]

Thanks they look really good thats what I'll be using now looks like a trip to the old auto parts store for me.Thanks for the tip.

[Anonymous]

There are also some LHS shops that sell them packaged as car weights, but they can get kind of pricy that way, though.

---jps

[Anonymous]

I use old roofing lead - used to seal the edges of tiled roofs when they meet a wall (such as around a chimney). When we had a couple of outbuildings re-roofed recently I rescued a few big chunks of lead sheet from the builder's debris/rubble pile for "recycling" as (free) ballast weights. I fix the lead in place with either Blu-tack, gel CA glue or PVA wood glue depending on the situation (example, Walthers 48ft containers which have the walls and floor moulded as one piece, I use PVA here to seal in a chunk of lead sheet. Other containers with a seperate floor need gel CA (PVA would run everywhere!).

N.B. Lead is highly toxic. Try not to handle it too much and also make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after working with lead. I try only to handle the lead using pliers to grip it and snips to cut it. To flatten it, clamp the sheet in a vice - flat sheet is easier to glue to the floor of cars due to there being a larger contact area.

[Anonymous]

That's also what I've been using and where I got it LOL! Some roofing lead I was able to salvage from a building being demolished. It's not gonna last me forever, but it's been a seven-year supply of *free* freight car/loco weight so far. I've used both silicone caulk and double-sided foam tape to attach it with good results. That lead "rope" you find in fishing shops for making your own sinkers also works good.