changing hglw powered chassis axle

[pskipper]

I've recently bought one of the hglw 4wd powered chassis kits with the intention of making a steam outline loco and was going to do the same as Si by making it tram outline. Looking at the kit though if I can put a longer axle on the wheels it should be possible to make it an outside frame loco which matches the prototype I'm very roughly basing it on.

So does anyone know how the wheels and pulleys are fixed on the axle and how easy it would be to remove them without braking things?

Thanks,

Philip

[steamie1]

Its a kit so easy to adapt. If it is preglued i.e. a finished kit your thinking of buying then the MDF breaks eventualy. This could br remade in ply if one axle cover became damaged. In short go for it!

[sstjc]

Email David via the contact details on his site. He's very helpful and always interested in new ways of using his kits.

[Busted Bricks]

Wheels are attached with Loctite, pulleys are push fit.

[pskipper]

That's great, David has offered to make up custom wheel sets but according to a quick google search acetone will break down loctite so I'm going to try my wife's nail varnish remover first.

[steamie1]

So sorry, I read your email and took none of it in. I've not been well so it is a new lesson for me. 'Don't reply to a topic till you can think straight.' It's weird as I read it understood it in my mind and now I feel better realise I did not! You wanted to remove the wheels from the axle. As the question is answered, all I can do is learn and say sorry for the above.

[pskipper]

That's okay, it was a useful answer to the question you thought I was asking I'll let people know how the nail varnish remover goes

[Enginehouse]

That's okay, it was a useful answer to the question you thought I was asking I'll let people know how the nail varnish remover goes

I have actually done this twice to HGLM wheel/axle combos using a little applied heat. A decent soldering iron on the wheel close to the axle joint will allow the wheel once nicely hot, to be twisted and freed. Not tried the small gas torch method with the axle in situ, but regularly done it this way to free les critically located steel on steel joints where for example Loctite 603 ( my preferred grade of loctite) has been used. I converted 45mm to 32mm axled stock running this way, the only damage being slight marks on the axle due to my over the enthusiastic use of mole grips. This method is very useful where loctite has been used on threaded joints,me here forcing can quite easily strip out threads. Not so easy to do where blind steel studs are locked into cast iron castings. A lot of heat is required and a fair bit of skill and patience is definitely beneficial.

[jay1976]

if u have the kit already pop the axle in hot water it melts the glue and wheels twist off the axles....if u havent ordered yet just email david and either ask for non glued wheel sets or ask him about longer axles

[pskipper]

David suggested that using heat to break the loctite might damage the plastic pulleys, hence going down the acetone route.

[dhippey]

How is this project coming on?
Love to see some photos.

D.

[pskipper]

Forgot to say, I tried acetone on one wheel, clamped the wheel in a well padded vice and turned the other with some well padded mole grips and the one which hadn't been soaked came loose. Turns out that a clamp and some mole grips are all you need

All the parts have arrived to make the chassis so I'll be starting a projects thread once I have enough done

[pskipper]

Build diary for the project is here for anyone who wants to see it.

http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/sutr ... php#101543