Does anyone know which rivet is a good replacement part for the ones used on Oriental Powerhouse 2-8-2 Mikados?
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I see some are available from Bowser and Precision Scale, but I have no clue which ones to purchase. Any help is appreciated.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
You need to know the length and diameter of the hole.
I would use some number drills to determine the ID of the valve gear hole. Find the largest one that fits without any drag and that should be close enough.
Then measure the combined thickness of the valve gear sections which need to be joined. A caliper or ruler should work.
Now call Bowser and let them know both specifications. They sell a nice tool you can use to reattach it also.
Jim
Kevin- How are you making out? I would be interested in knowing the size as well. One thing I do know... those rivets are VERY tiny! I am working on a Powerhouse 2-4-4-2. Love the engine, but the valve gear is poorly assembled, to say the lease. Seems there are two ways to rivet the valve gear...one is to use a small amount of solder on the unseen side, and the other is to try and "set" the rivet using a tool like a center punch (ala the Mantua procedure). Both methods can be problematic. I am working on modifying a pair of parallel action pliers to set rivets precisely without being overtight. I know the soldering method can result in a soldered valve linkage! Can you believe it, the valve eccentrics on my 2-4-4-2 are soldered to the axle shaft! Best of luck
Ken A.
I was in Atlanta last week and stopped in Riverdale Hobbies. The store owner sold me rivets from Bowser and Precision Scale. I also bought the Bowser installation tool that resembles a center punch.
I too am going to try to make a dimpling crimper from a pair of pliers.
The Powerhouse Locomotive is still in the paint shop, so no attempt will be made at reassembling the valve gear for many weeks.
SeeYou190 I was in Atlanta last week and stopped in Riverdale Hobbies. The store owner sold me rivets from Bowser and Precision Scale. I also bought the Bowser installation tool that resembles a center punch. . I too am going to try to make a dimpling crimper from a pair of pliers. . The Powerhouse Locomotive is still in the paint shop, so no attempt will be made at reassembling the valve gear for many weeks. . -Kevin .
Kevin,
A tip: wedge thin scrap piece of paper between the valve gear pieces you will be riveting and after you mushroom the rivet end, tear out the paper to get the proper spacing without binding.
BTW, go easy mushrooming out the rivet end with that tool. It does not take much force -- I usually push on the end of the tool with a small block of wood and drive it home with a light tap of the block. The head side of the rivet must be on a hard surface so all of the applied force goes into mushrooming the other end.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
I have successfully modified a pair of parallel action pliers that I can use to set rivets. Still not an easy job for my 70 year old eyes! Pliers can be set to stop at an appropriate distance. For .7 mm rivets, that is only about .020" less than the length of the rivet! The hardest part, of course, is getting the pliers in the correct position to flare the rivet squarely, and paper between the linkage is still a good idea. Patience is a must, and don't breathe too hard on the parts!
The attached advertisement was found in the MR's October 1988 issue. In early Powerhouse products, valve gears seem to cause trouble.
The most surprising thing about that ad is that Oriental was offereing the tender as a separate part. Those tenders were terible. They even failed at the most basic function of electrical pickup.
Thank heaven for Tenshodo tenders on eBay.
At that time, I saw huge lot of Oriental's boxes accumulating in a certain place. I finally understood the reason.