A while back I obtained a brass bay window caboose in "as is" condition. It is missing the coupler pockets and mounting screws. I couldn't even begin to guess what was the original screw size was. I do have a supply of KD coupler boxes with the little loops on the sides for mounting. Could anyone tell me what size screw fits those side loops? All I have on hand are 2-56 which are clearly too large.
Thanks
Jim
0-80 x 3/16'' brass round head (RH) screw will fit the side holes (little loops) in the Kadee coupler boxs and will extend though to fasten in to the body/floor of the rolling stock.
With what you are saying above is that you have two holes in the body/floor to mount a coupler box and not just one.
I always use a 2-56 screw thru the big hole in the center of the Kadee box.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Maybe your screws are not 2-56, a number 2 screw fits loosely in a Kadee coupler housing. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
2-56 in the center for me, I've never used the side holes.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thank you very much.Yes there are two holes under the bodey to accept the screws. Its a very nice caboose and the price was too good to pass up. Just needs a little TLC.
jim
Reading between the lines, the gist of his question is answered by the 0-80 -- that is what goes in his 'little loops'. But this is not the whole of the answer he may need to know.
He does not say anything about any existing coupler-mount holes (or their threads) in the car as he purchased it. If he does not have two little holes corresponding to the loops, he will mark, drill and tap 0-80... using appropriate care and, I would recommend, either a drill/tap guide or drill-press arrangement to preclude breakage... or cement or solder captive nuts on the opposite side of what is probably a brass-sheet floor.
If he has a single large mystery hole, he needs to see if it is tapped, or there is or was 'something' on the other side for the (2-56) screw through the conventional center of box and cover.
jeep35A while back I obtained a brass bay window caboose in "as is" condition. It is missing the coupler pockets and mounting screws.
Jeep, All my cabooses are brass, so I know what you are talking about.
I cannot get to any of mine for new pictures, so I will do my best to describe. I might have some pictures from archive.
The Asian brass manufacturers have all used non-USA-standard screws from my experience, and there is no rhyme-or-reason to the size they use. I have ten "identical" GM&O brass cabooses I use for my standard caboose model, and they have at least two different screw sizes from the builders.
I have an assortment of metric screws from NWSL that can be helpful, but believe it or not, sometimes they do not match up. I have wondered is there is a "Japanese Standard" that is different from metric. Japanese Standard 1/8" pipe thread causes havoc in the industrial world.
If I cannot find the correct screw from experimentation, I have drill and tapped the holed for 00-80 or 0-72 screws with success.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Jim,
The small outer draft gear (coupler) box holes on brass cabooses are usually metric and commonly M1.4 x 4mm. It's usually the same screw pitch found and used to secure the gear covers on the underside of brass locomotive chassis. IIRC, those are slightly shorter (M1.4 x 3mm).
I purchased a bag of 100 of both sizes and they have come in handy a number of times working on brass locomotives over the past few years.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
SeeYou190If I cannot find the correct screw from experimentation, I have drill and tapped the holes for 00-80 or 0-72 screws with success.
All I'm familiar with is the fine-thread progression 0-80, 00-90, 000-120, 0000-160.
Overmod SeeYou190 If I cannot find the correct screw from experimentation, I have drill and tapped the holes for 00-80 or 0-72 screws with success. Where do you get 00-80 screws? All I'm familiar with is the fine-thread progression 0-80, 00-90, 000-120, 0000-160.
SeeYou190 If I cannot find the correct screw from experimentation, I have drill and tapped the holes for 00-80 or 0-72 screws with success.
Where do you get 00-80 screws?
Oops, meant either 1-72 or 0-80.
I was thinking they were probably metric, and again I have no idea which size metric. But, now I have a starting point. I will have to carefully redrill and retap the holes to .080. I really appreciate the information everyone has provided. As always you guys and gals are a wonderful resource.
jeep35I will have to carefully redrill and retap the holes to .080.
Maybe you meant 0-80 rather than .080"??? They are NOT the same. If you are going to go with a 0-80 tap, you need a 3/64" (or 0.047" OD) hole. .080 would be too large for even a 2-56 tapped hole.
tstageMaybe you meant 0-80 rather than .080"??? They are NOT the same.
0 is the diameter size; 80 is the number of threads per inch.
There are tables, including some provided by microsize-screw vendors, that list the clearance for the different threads. There are also 'kits' with tap and clearance drills, a tap, and an appropriate ID guide tube to help prevent breakage; those take some of the guesswork out of converting from thou.