I have a box with Kadee 148 couplers a few have lost there spring. I was thinking that maybe I could re-attach the loose springs with tweezers or this an exercise in futility?
Joe Staten Island West
Rather than tweezers, put the back of a hobby knife point through the coils to pick it up. That way you don't have to squeeze (and possibly distort) the coils.
And here's another helpful hint. http://mrr.trains.com/videos/expert-tips/2016/04/model-railroader-quick-tips-working-with-coupler-springs
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Put a dab of plastic cemment on one end, and it won't be able to find the floor again.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Building on what Mr. Otte said:
I use the classic pointy X-acto knife. I try to insert it near the end of the spring, where the coils are spaced closer together. That way, there's more friction in the connection.
How to install the spring should be obvious. Especially after you try and fail the first couple of times.
I've been doing this operation for about half a century. With practice, it becomes very easy. AND. Kadee will sell you more springs, should you be on the wrong end of the clumsy scale.
Ed
Put a thread (sewing thread) therough the spring. Put one end in place then the other. the spring cannot get away from you because it is controlled by the thread.
When seated and secure, slide the thread out.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
RR_MelI wish they made them for plastic and wood stuff.
They do. It is called bare feet.
I also use the #11 X-acto knife blade. Dipped in Vaseline it works very well. I still lose about 50% of my attempts, but the springs are inexpensive, and most Kadee packs come with a couple spares.
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
joe323 I have a box with Kadee 148 couplers a few have lost there spring. I was thinking that maybe I could re-attach the loose springs with tweezers or this an exercise in futility?
No, Loosing a Kadee knuckle spring is fairly common. I have a pair of high speed tweezers that can grab the coil spring, compress it, and slip it back onto the knuckle. A tiny (VERY tiny) dab of cellulose cement will secure the spring to the knuckle.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Joe,
I'm a firm believer in a pair of good quality needle-nose tweezers - e.g. #3C or #5 tweezers from Techni-Tool. A quality pair (i.e. where the jaws align together when closed and are flat) will allow you to pick up the spring with minimal squeezing pressure; thereby reducing the chance of losing it into the "ether zone" or distorting it.
I grab the spring either in the middle or at one end. I push one end of the spring over the nib at the base of the "C" then compress the spring slightly to slip it over the other nib at the top of the "C". I put one on a coupler the night before last it in about 5 seconds.
I prefer needle-nose tweezers over the X-acto blade because it gives me better control. And those tweezers are part of my regular tool arsenal, along with flat-nose and locking versions.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
RR_MelYou surprised me Elias, did you mean Lion feet?
Yes, Bear feet are what our friend from New Zealand uses.
Sorry Bear, no Kadees on those feet, keep looking.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Actually they are not on the floor from what I know. I use a basin when I work with small components like couplers or wheelsets on the floor sometimes.
I also use the thread-through-the-spring technique and no longer lose any of these springs. It is stupidly easy to do and the weight of a length of thread is more than the spring can overcome when it tries to escape (and disappear). Once the spring is in place on the coupler, simply pull on one end of the thread to remove it from the spring. Clean and easy with no chance of gumming up the coupler mechanism with errant dabs of glue.
Hornblower
Folks, they make a really nice tool to do this job:
https://www.micromark.com/Spring-Grabber
It’s just $9 and worth every penny. It’s superior even to the Kadee brand grabbers.
Basically, it’s an all-metal stick with one end that has been shaped into an oblong ball. This ball tip slips between the loops of a Kadee spring and holds it pretty securely. Much better than a screwdriver or an X-Acto blade can.
Get this tool. You won’t regret it.
Curious how to avoid this issue entirely? Do the springs pop off from doing something? No question that trying to find the tiny springs is far harder on the floor than wh the car on a clean workbench or over a container to catch little pieces.
kasskaboose Curious how to avoid this issue entirely? Do the springs pop off from doing something?
Curious how to avoid this issue entirely? Do the springs pop off from doing something?
Mostly they seem to mysteriously come off the couplers while still in the Kadee packaging.
The only time I've been "responsible" for doing it was when the little nub on the coupler wasn't fullly cast. It was NEVER going to stay on.
7j43k kasskaboose Curious how to avoid this issue entirely? Do the springs pop off from doing something? Mostly they seem to mysteriously come off the couplers while still in the Kadee packaging. The only time I've been "responsible" for doing it was when the little nub on the coupler wasn't fullly cast. It was NEVER going to stay on. Ed
They are you thrown together since I buy the bulk packs.
I have the Kadee tool but I prefer to just use an Xacto knife. The trick is to insert the blade into the spring near the end so that when you install it you have plenty of room for the spring to compress. Put the longer end of the spring onto the post first then the shorter end. It takes a little practice but after a few tries it gets pretty easy. Also don’t worry if you lose a couple of springs. Kadee gives you plenty of extras. I’ve never had to buy additional springs.
I use the KD tool.. Its cheap and works as advertised.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Once I get the spring on the Kadee tool and the coupler in the other hand, I finish up by working inside a gallon freezer bag which corrals the spring the first two times it pops off. Once it's all together, a dab of clear parts cement on the coupler shank nub keeps it in place.
A couple of cowboys at the club who like to switch at 30 mph are usually the ones handing in bad order cars with "missing coupler spring" notes. Maybe two or three people out of the 30 in the group.
I have better luck with the KD tool than the knife blade. I need an optivisor to see what's going on. I put the coupler in one of those aligator clip helping hands. I also use the thread trick. There is a learning curve.
The micro mark tool looks interesting.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I use knife blade near end of spring to get it placed on stationary part of knuckle. Then I place finger over that end of spring to keep it in place. Change position of knife blade toward free end of spring and place spring on nub of moveable knuckle.
Remove knife blade. Rarely lose a spring.
maxman I use knife blade near end of spring to get it placed on stationary part of knuckle. Then I place finger over that end of spring to keep it in place. Change position of knife blade toward free end of spring and place spring on nub of moveable knuckle. Remove knife blade. Rarely lose a spring.
I do it just about the same way......but I don't move the knife blade. I compress the spring onto the stationary spring and hold open the knuckle...takes about 8 seconds or less, from start to finish....that's with a #11 blade.
I also solder those same springs to PC circuit board copper tabs for better pick-up on light kits:
Take Care!
Frank
kasskabooseDo the springs pop off from doing something?
I have no idea how they come off.
About once every few weeks I would have problems coupling a car. Inspection would show that the knuckle spring was gone.
They seem to defy accepted rules of physics. I do not see how they could come off, but they do.