Best Of New Brass EP-2 assembly & Mod clinic

[mmagliaro]

Aren't there small steel ones in many of the old Rapido coupler boxes?     What size spring (length and diameter)
are you hoping for?

[u18b]

Most Rapido coupler spings are way fatter and too short.

So in this photo from a previous page....


The top photo is some springs I'm trying.
The outside diameter is what is posted.   .0465"

The Fleischmann spring measures out at  .0405"  So it is about 5 or 6 mil smaller Outside diameter.

Heck, I'd be happier than a seagull with a frenchfry if I could find a spring that measures say .025 or .030 inches outside diameter.

The length is closer to the top spring.  I need about 9 mm in the body of the spring - plus the attachment hooks.

With what I'm doing, I'm not burning any bridges.  It can all be re-done.
So I'm going to go with the NiTi springs I have.... and then if I find some that are smaller, I can swap them out.

[u18b]

Time to fashion the springs.

As you can see, this spring is about 13 mm long.  That's plenty since we need about 9 plus the hooks.



I twist the last link to get a hook.



Now I measure about 9 mm on the body of the spring.



I use a #11 Xacto knife to hold my spot.
Now, the hard part.  I try to get my thumbnail in the spot to better hold it (and not cut myself!  ).



I then trim the spring about 1 link past where I'm holding it.



With it cut, I then pull the last turn out and twist it for another hook.

[VonRyan]

Ron, that spring you show, does it have a good amount of outward-pull before it looses it's springy-ness?
I ask because I need a pulling-type spring for my RPO project since there is no way to implement a pushing-type spring.

[u18b]

Hi VonRyan,

The two types of springs you note are:

Extension springs  (like these)

Compression spring  (like a coupler spring)

It helps me to think that the name is based on what you do to the spring to get it to work.

Of course, if you don't have the paperwork specifications for a spring, then you have to destroy it to find out what its limits are.

Since I don't have specifications, and don't want to stretch it until it fails.....

Here's my gut estimation.

The spring is 9mm at rest.  I felt comfortable stretching it to about 35 mm.

Hope that maybe answers your question.

[u18b]

Time to work on the pantograph itself.




I need to drill a hole in the arm.  Because the thing is so delicate and floppy, holding it with pliers helps.  I'll be drilling near the pliers.



#80 drill bit.



It is kind of hard to keep the bit in the middle.  Now three more to go.



I found it easiest to hook the spring on one side by going through the middle first.



Then rotate the assemble, letting gravity pull the spring downward.



Now grab the outside hook stretch it, and hook it.



Her is the pantograph with one spring installed.  Not horrible, but a smaller spring would be less obvious.



One spring.  Push down, and let up.



In this case, the one spring is not  pulling hard enough to lift the pantograph



Now I have installed two springs.



Push down.  And let up.



And it lifts the pantograph some.  Not all the way, but a decent amount.




I can manually lift the pant a bit higher.



Now it is looking better.  At least when this loco runs around the track now, the pantograph will stay up.



But, of course, what will it look like painted?
Early has black roof (solid black scheme)
mid has gray roof (Early Hi schemes)
late has black (cigar band Hi scheme)     
I don't have to worry about light gray roof on the UP scheme.

So here is a scheme made black with a plain old Sharpie permanent marker.

 

Hmmmmm.  Springs are still there, but it is MUCH less noticeable now.

[peteski]

Ron, if you made the springs slightly shorter, that would most likely give them more "oomph" to pull the pantograph all the way up.

[u18b]

Ron, if you made the springs slightly shorter, that would most likely give them more "oomph" to pull the pantograph all the way up.

Yes, that was my plan.

I'm going to hold off doing anything further until I figure out how to lock it down.

If I don't find a good (discreet and reliable) solution, I could always leave it as-is.  The rear pant raise moderately (not all the way up) and leave the front with no springs and down.

But if I can find a way to lock it down, then I can spring not only both of them, but also make it a bit stronger so that it will actually touch catenary wire.

[superturbine]

Maybe this is stupid......

But what about using something like very small rubber bands instead of springs... Na never mind!

Just trying to think outside the box

[u18b]

Possible.

but bands rot and break.

[nkalanaga]

If you can find them, the Overland Little Joes had some nice pans.  They don't seem to reach quite as high as they should, but they do work, and follow the wire nicely as long as it's kept within limits.  They also lock down, and cost me a LOT to buy separately!

7 bucks a spring for custom springs doesn't sound that bad on a brass loco, as long as you don't have to buy them by the hundred.

[peteski]

If you can find them, the Overland Little Joes had some nice pans.  They don't seem to reach quite as high as they should, but they do work, and follow the wire nicely as long as it's kept within limits.  They also lock down, and cost me a LOT to buy separately!

7 bucks a spring for custom springs doesn't sound that bad on a brass loco, as long as you don't have to buy them by the hundred.

I suspect that if he bought a 100, the price per spring would be much less than $100. 

[u18b]

For those following this thread.....

Here is an example of what I've encountered.

http://www.acxesspring.com/stock-extension-springs-catalogue.html
Click  Search Entire Extension Spring Catalog.

Notice that these fine folks START size is   .063”   Which is 1.6mm.

The NiTi springs you see here are about 1 mm.

So that's 50% bigger than what I already have.


Here is another company.  Same starting size.
But this document is a good read for those interested.
http://www.centuryspring.com/pdfs/229-288EXTENSION.pdf



I sent a message/request to these folks:

http://www.motiondc.com/home

They make Stents for heart cath among other things--- so they must be able to make really small stuff.

I'll report back what they say.  (hopefully they won't be at medical prices  )

You know, if I find a supplier and bought 100 or so,  I wonder if there are some of you guys who would buy some from me to help offset the cost (depending of course on what they cost).  My goal would be to make zero money.  sell them for exactly what it costs me.

[u18b]

I also requested a quote from these fine folks.

http://www.centuryspring.com/


Wouldn't it be astounding if we could get springs at  .5 mm or less   

[peteski]

I also requested a quote from these fine folks.

http://www.centuryspring.com/


Wouldn't it be astounding if we could get springs at  .5 mm or less   

I've read somewhere that Micro-Trains makes their own springs. I wonder if they would be capable and willing to run some custom ones for you.