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Adding weight to a plastic forklift

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  • Member since
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  • From: Good ol' USA
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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, October 31, 2021 8:23 PM

Thanks PC101 Cool,

Spot on with your description! I googled "Hyster forklifts" and a number of photos came up with the same basic body style (minus the cab) as in the above photo.  Found a manufacturer called "Wheels of time" that makes a Hyster forklift. Here's a link. Click on the "HO Products tab on the page:

http://www.wheelsotime.com/

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by PC101 on Sunday, October 31, 2021 9:06 AM

 Hyster. Sometime around 1964.

New York City around 1976, I'd say ''all weather cab'' more then a ''rock guard'' to protect the operator. Remember when locos had ''rock guard grills'' over their front windows.

  • Member since
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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Saturday, October 30, 2021 5:38 PM

Hi guys,

I thought that this might be relevant to our forklift discssion.

I was looking at images of New York City in 1976 and found this forklift truck with a cool looking enclosure.  Looks like it's designed for use in rainy weather and dusty coniditions.  I've never seen a prototype unit that looks like this but it would it be a cool challenge to try and model it.  Anyone have an idea as to who the manufacturer is? 

 

 

 

 

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, October 3, 2021 9:29 AM

Doc Wayne,

All this time and I didn't know that you have a twisted sense of humor, LOL! Laugh

You get an A+ on the "Cool Scale" CoolBig Smile!

BTW: For a time back in the 80's, one of my duties on the job was to operate a forklift truck. Toyota unit with a Mitsubishi diesel engine. It was nearly identical to the one in the photo below. That little bugger was tough and had (trying to remember) either a 5-ton or 7 ton capacity. Lasted about 17 years.

doctorwayne

 CharlieM

How do you cut Tungsten rods? Hacksaw, cutoff wheel, sheers?

 

 

Naw, I just snap 'em over my knee, then roll them into a coil and bite-off any loose ends, much the same as anyone does with re-bar. Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne

 

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by doctorwayne on Saturday, October 2, 2021 3:20 PM

CharlieM
How do you cut Tungsten rods? Hacksaw, cutoff wheel, sheers?

 

Naw, I just snap 'em over my knee, then roll them into a coil and bite-off any loose ends, much the same as anyone does with re-bar. Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne

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  • From: Northern Colorado
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Posted by CharlieM on Saturday, October 2, 2021 11:08 AM

RedDogF5
Another option is tungsten if you need more weight, it is 70% more dense than lead. I used TIG welding electrodes, they can't be molded, but if you have an area that can accommodate rod shaped weights, it can get you almost twice the weight. I used them on an N-scale loco running on a layout with far too optimistic assumptions about grades and minimum radii :)
 

How do you cut Tungsten rods? Hacksaw, cutoff wheel, sheers?

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, October 1, 2021 10:04 PM

Ah, the search is on. Maybe you'll want some pallet jacks also.

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Friday, October 1, 2021 4:59 AM

JaBear, PC101, Thanks!

I checked out Shapeways and there is a nice selection.  Most of the forklifts are modern but, imho, several of them are easy to back date.

If I recall correctly, safety-type enclosures for small, American forklifts became common during the early 80's. Until then, hundreds of forklifts looked similar to the Scenimaster unit posted by PC101. If they're available, I'll likely get a few.

Thanks!

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, September 30, 2021 11:25 PM

OS by Bear, on Flickr

Smile, Wink & Grin

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by RedDogF5 on Thursday, September 30, 2021 7:48 AM
Another option is tungsten if you need more weight, it is 70% more dense than lead. I used TIG welding electrodes, they can't be molded, but if you have an area that can accommodate rod shaped weights, it can get you almost twice the weight. I used them on an N-scale loco running on a layout with far too optimistic assumptions about grades and minimum radii :)
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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 9:08 PM

I also use lead sheet, and have used Wayne’s method of making my own lead castings from lead bird shot, but have never filed lead sheet. Funny that! I’m happy to work with lead fumes but not lead shavings!!

I went to a nearby tire outlet, and got a fair-size box of used wheel-balancing weights, free for the asking.  Some of them appeared to be zinc, others were steel, but about half of them were lead.

There's a thread HERE that shows how to make simple moulds and the process for casting the weights, too.

Wayne

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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 7:53 PM

AntonioFP45

for the 1960's-70's, 1 to 5 ton capacity units.

Any recommendations?   

Thanks.

 

 

The forklifts in my above post are from Walthers Scenemaster #4164. 

I do not know what year ''Safety cages'' where mandatory.

An extra added reply here.

I smiled when I saw that the Bear responded, I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew it would bring a chuckel to me.

How's this Bear, the tires are strapped down now.

 

Because the Load Shipping Bear would not always stay in place till the tires where delivered. But he did his job this time and not let the tires fall off the skid.

 

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Posted by "JaBear" on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 5:36 AM

AntonioFP45
Any recommendations?

I personally haven’t actually seen any so as to ascertain quality, but out of curiosity I Googled “HO scale forkiifts shapeways” which brings up a few different options, as you’re after variety.
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 5:13 AM

Good topic and tips!

I'll be adding several "backdrop" warehouse type buildings to my shelf layout and would like to have a variety of HO scale forklift trucks that would be appropriate for the 1960's-70's, 1 to 5 ton capacity units.

Any recommendations? I'm not picky as I can even take a "toy" version, that has reasonable dimensions, and hop it up. Weight can be added, as recommended on this thread. 

Thanks.

 

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by "JaBear" on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 1:58 AM

Nose dive by Bear, on Flickr
A nice fix, and for what it’s worth the end product looks just fine.Thumbs UpThumbs Up
 
I also use lead sheet, and have used Wayne’s method of making my own lead castings from lead bird shot, but have never filed lead sheet. Funny that! I’m happy to work with lead fumes but not lead shavings!!Hmm Bang Head
 
Cheers, the Bear.Sigh

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by kasskaboose on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 8:54 PM

Great photos and bravo on solving the issue.

I bought a flat sheet of led that's easy to cut and secure to rail cars.  That also could work on vehicles.

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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 5:38 PM

I buy 1/32” thich sheet lead for weigh, cuts easily with scissors.  For small areas or hard to fit I use #8 bitd shot.

10oz of #8 bird shot in this Rivarossi Cab Forward shell.



3½oz added to ths Athearn passenger car.




Mel

 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
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I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, September 27, 2021 11:44 PM

I often make lead castings for adding weight to cars and locomotives (I use sheet aluminum to make the moulds), but I was building a small Bowser loco (PRR A-5 0-4-0) for a friend and realised that it was not very well balanced, which could have an adverse effect on its pulling abilities.
I was about to make some suitable castings, but it occurred to me that it would be difficult to get accurately-sized weights into the limited available space.

Instead, I took one of my stock square lead weights, clamped it in a vise, then used a coarse mill file to reduce it to fairly fine shavings.  I poured them into the loco's hollow air tanks, located beneath the cab, then added a generous amount of ca to bond the granules together and to the air tanks...

It was quicker than making castings, and with no voids...balance restored...

Wayne

 

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Adding weight to a plastic forklift
Posted by PC101 on Monday, September 27, 2021 10:40 PM

I have just a few plastic forklifts working around the layout. Some are metal and some are plastic. Well the plastic ones give the ''free help'' some excitment sometimes. So I needed to do something.

I have ''Low-temp'' from Walthers, lead shot, sheet lead, shaved lead and lead wool. Neither seemed to be the ''ticket'' to do the job. So recently I was in a second hand store and I picked up an ankle weight, The nylon bag kind that you strap around the ankle or wrist. It was heavy for it's size (2lb-5oz-4/10), felt like it was full of fine ''stuff'' and was only .50, probably because there was only one there, sold.

So I cut it open and this very fine grain (no dust) pours out in to my container. It flowed as smooth as sand in an hourglass.

Use caution because it is ferromagnetic, it will stick to a magnet.

I fill the void in the forklifts with this material and CA it in place.

Now my Safety Foreman is not having a Cow.

Works for a higher lifted load also.

Now that is one ugly forklift. The next one I will have to weigh the forklift before and after.

 

 

 

 

 

  

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