DCC Conversions produce coffee grinders - help

[mmagliaro]

Victor and all...
I have done much of the same web searching that you have all done.  I was aware of the mini ball bearings, but I really am looking
for the spherical type (yes, sometimes also called a "bushing", sometimes called a "bearing" depending on where you look).
So far, no leads.

I did find that Atlas part number, thanks Ron.  They are also used in the Atlas/Kato (Japan) RSD4/5, RSD12 and GP-9.
I will see if they have any, but that will probably be a short term solution, as I doubt they have scads of them, if they have any at all.

Sure is frustrating in that it seems like the part can't be that hard to make.  Kato had already figured out how to make them.
But maybe Peteski is right.  Maybe they are actually expensive to produce, so they just plain quit doing it for business reasons.

[peteski]

But maybe Peteski is right.  Maybe they are actually expensive to produce, so they just plain quit doing it for business reasons.

I don't think these were *THAT* expensive. But time after time I keep on noticing that when companies make product, they usually try to cut cost and simplify as much as they can (unless you are talking some esoteric and outrageously expensive handmade items).  So, every little corner that they cut and "sliver of fat" that they trim makes a difference.  Haven't you noticed that throughout your life?  While the new batch of some product at first glance appears to be identical to the last batch, if you start carefully examining its constructions, you can see small changes which were made to cut cost (usually at the expense of quality or robustness).

Changing for a 2-piece plastic/brass bearing block to a simple single-piece all-plastic molding might only have saved them 20 cents, but in the eyes of the companies bean counters, they are saving money (which might even be passed onto the consumer by reducing the increase of the MSRP they are askign for the new batch of models) .  At least that is how I see this.

Actually, they might have saved more than few pennies on this bearing block.  I imagine that the one with brass insert was very labor intensive. The brass spheres probably had to be loaded by hand into the mold, before injecting plastic.  All-plastic ones are molded automatically.

[spookshow]

So, how's eja doing with his Geeps? LOL 

Cheers,
-Mark

[peteski]

So, how's eja doing with his Geeps? LOL 

Cheers,
-Mark

Oh come on Mark, why in the world would you want to go back to the original topic? 

[mmagliaro]

Okay, I plead guilty to hijacking this, but in my defense, eja said back on page 2 that he would not have time to work on this in the near term and he would report back as soon as he tried some things.

/segue
I was indeed able to call Atlas and order some of those cool bearing blocks with the bronze rotating balls in them.
eja,
If removing the inner block, ala Ron Bearden's famous fix, does not work for you, you might try getting some of those blocks from
Atlas (part number 420002), and see how that goes. 
/end_segue

[spookshow]

Oh come on Mark, why in the world would you want to go back to the original topic? 

Yah, I know. What was I thinking? 

Cheers,
-Mark

[victor miranda]

we are awaiting eja's results sos we can 'help' some more.

Kato has many locos with those bead/bearings
one is the RDC.  Kato sells a worm gear set for 4 bucks
Call Kato and ask inffin it has the beads.
that should get at least 2.
even if you get 4, that is still twice the cost of the cheap ball sets...

either way still requires mounting 'em.

victor

ETA 
kato part 926570 worm gear set 2 ea
the bearings are often included in Kato's sets.


ooof another add
the RDC trucks do not have the bead/bearing in it
sorry for the mis-lead

[eja]

So, how's eja doing with his Geeps? LOL 

Cheers,
-Mark

Too busy preparing for a concert to try the many options suggested here, but following this with great interest.

As an aside, I "took the plunge" to DCC with Digitrax decoders in two Atlas Geeps and a Kato P42. The Kato works fine and the the Atlas units are making me wonder why I did it !

Someday ... I'll get back to it, and thanks all for all of the information.

Ed Anderson (aka ... eja)