Attaching Weights

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I use super glue gel for the little jobs. For the big jobs (eight or more cars at once) I use JB Weld epoxy.

[tstage]

Andy Sperandeo

Hi Tom,

With any kind of adhesive there's a drying or curing time. Even if that's short, I get impatient.. With screwed-on weights I move immediately to the next step – no waiting.

Happy New Year, 

Andy

That's never been an issue with me, Andy...but I understand your reasoning.

Tom

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

I normally use the weights with adhesive backing. Peel off and stick it in.

I also make my own weights from steel bars. I use Liquid Nails Clear Small Projects Adhesive, and it holds very well. Yes, I do wait for it to cure. Also, this method is for weights inside of the car where they will not be seen.

 

[CP5415]

Stick in wheel weights are better, no gases to deal with & no screwing around.

They're also available in steel so you don't have to worry about lead.

These would easily fit in a piece of N gauge rolling stock

Gordon

[Andy Sperandeo]

Hi Tom,

With any kind of adhesive there's a drying or curing time. Even if that's short, I get impatient.. With screwed-on weights I move immediately to the next step – no waiting.

Happy New Year, 

Andy

[richhotrain]

I use 2-part epoxy after trying all of the other suggestions made in this thread and none of them held.

I have not tried caulk, however.

Rich

[bogp40]

dstarr

I don't use Goo.  I use Silicone bathtub caulk.  Goo is solvent based and will do bad things to plastic over the years. 

I agree, however you really need to lay it on quite heavy and not allow air drying. If weight is plopped on a thick layer some of the fragile thin plastics may be affected. 

I have no problem using Goo, contact cement or Pliobond. A thin coat dabbed on properly and allowed to air dry for a quick bond willnot bother the plastic. The "solvent" is the vehicle which dries rather quickly when exposed to "air". I have seen where way too much was used and trapped under a weight. This would be evident say, for an Athearn weight on the flat platic of the floor/ frame.

A small amount placed then place the weight, lifting to allow  transfer (strings), then place the weight. Almost all of the solvent/ vehicle will be dried. The remaining product can sit on that plastic for decades. I have dozens of BB rolling stock that Goo was used some 20 years ago. Still holding and nothing is wrong w/ the plastic.

I however wouldn't suggest using Goo to place weights inside a shell of some of the newer equipment. The shells are quite thin in spots (Kato, Proto especially), so why take the chance.  Double sided tape, silicne or RTV would be a better choice there. 

[cowman]

Thank you all for your comments.  I will see what I have in various hiding places around the workbench and give things a try.  The tape sounds easy and somewhere around here there is a small squeeze tube of silicone caulk.  Don't have a tube of latex open at the moment, but I know there is one in the drawer.

Thanks again,

Richard

[rrinker]

Latex caulk - no stinky outgassing. CA doesn't really eat palstic. It will fog clear materials so it's not a good option for gluing windows in things. When I glue my pennies in a house car, the roof is off and the doors aren't on yet. In the case of ie a Branchline kit, I'll glue in the pennies, then go work on the underframe. By the time I get back to teh body, the CA is cured and no longer has any detecable odor. Contrary to the instructions, I usually fo the doors last, so I can reach in to glue the roof on. Then I glue one door on, and the only ticky "no access" joint is the last door. So far no loose weights, even in the cars I carry back and forth to train shows.

                                 --Randy

 

[tstage]

Andy Sperandeo

It's quick, neat, permanent, and there's no outgassing of cement solvents to do any damage to the plastic carbody.

Hence why I like and prefer the silicone adhesive.  The curing agent (i.e. acetic acid or vinegar) will neither harm nor discolor the plastic.  And - for me - it's a lot simpler than drilling and tapping holes into the car floor.  The solvents is why I avoid adhesives like CA, Goo, or contact cement for attaching things to plastic.

Tom

[rrinker]

 Caulk will work. I use pennies for weights - cheapest thing around. I glue short stacks together with CA, then CA that tot he car (centered over the trucks normally). How many pennies? Well, I put the car, or allt eh parts, on my scale, then add pennies until the wight it up to NMRA standards. Closest even amount of penies so the stacks are equal and the car isn't heavier at one end. If it takes a lot, I'll make 3 or 4 stacks instead of just two.

                       --Randy

 

[Stourbridge Lion]

Andy - Welcome to Trains.com!

[Andy Sperandeo]

Hello Richard,

I prefer lead sheet for car weights over steel of any sort, because I use magnetic uncoupling. I attach the weights with 0-80 machine screws. You can drill tap holes for these up through the car floor between the center sills and drill clearance holes in the weight. The tap the threads in the car floor and screw the weight in place. It's quick, neat, permanent, and there's no outgassing of cement solvents to do any damage to the plastic carbody.

Happy New Year,

Andy

[cedarwoodron]

I use double-sided foam tape where adhesion to plastic surfaces is involved. I have picked up old flea market items where that foam tape is at least 15 yrs old and still in excellent shape. If I attach weights to metal, I use 3M plastic trim adhesive, which is an epoxy resin, but I believe any general use epoxy of similar nature would be also effective. Cedarwoodron

[dstarr]

I don't use Goo.  I use Silicone bathtub caulk.  Goo is solvent based and will do bad things to plastic over the years. 

[tstage]

Richard,

I mentioned this in another thread recently.  DAP makes a Household Adhesive Sealant (100% silicone) that you can pick up at your local hardware store or home center and it works great for tacking down weights.  (It's also used for putting together glass aquariums.)  It holds very well, fills voids, and remains flexible.  It also doesn't have the nasty chemicals that some of the other adhesives have.

Tom

[bogp40]

Contact cement in any form can be "messy". Generally a fairly fresh tube won't string that bad.  I've found that keeping the tip somewhat clean and applying by spreading uniformly w/o continually dabbing or lifting the nozzle tube will reduce the strings as you apply. When placing weight, position and just lift slightly. Pushing parts together and pulling apart will make the horible stringly mess. The only reason I will press and lift a fgew times is allow glue transfer and drying to allow the part to cement quickly. Continued drying takes place over a few hours.

As said, there are quite a few other adhesives besides Goo. For weights inside a plastic shell I perfer double sided tape. Sometimes RTV will work for bonding to chassis or other metal parts. I especially like the RTV to position motor craddles and motors themselves. The drawback is that it really needs overnight drying.

[Mr. Dispatcher]

Richard - I use the stick on tire weights ( I run in HO ). Don't  know if you would have enough room in N scale for the tire weights, but the double sided tape would be the best bet if you ever wanted to change the weights less mess. 

                                                                                Otto

[twcenterprises]

A little 2-sided tape (I use the foam kind), or maybe silicone caulk will do the trick.

Brad

[cowman]

I have been using Walthers Goo to attach metal weights (pieces of lead or steel washers and nuts) to get my HO cars to the recommended weight.  It is a little stringy, but I manage.  Now I am doing some N scale cars and find a little stringy in HO is pretty messy in N. 

How do you apply the Goo so the strings behave themselves?  Do you use a different adhesive?

Thank you,

Richard