NWSL Drive Couplings cast in Bronze

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Jon,

Thanks for the compliment but, truthfully, all I did was hand them to the foundry/caster guy. He did all the work .

To me it just made sense to give it a go. Handful of parts I can't use. Do I throw them away (I rarely do) or see if I can make them more useful to me. Didn't seem like too tough a decision.

Having the willingness to try and see vs. tossing them out is what matters. Others might not be able to make the decision you made.

I'm wondering if I might be able to use some to power a boxcab or 2....

[Jay Criswell]

I'm wondering if I might be able to use some to power a boxcab or 2....

Only if you report back on the success, or failure, of the results. After all, it's all just an experiment so failure is an option.

One thing for all of us to keep in mind, if used on both ends of a drive shaft the electrical insulation provided by the plastic will be gone. Make sure all trucks have the same polarity, or are electrically isolated. Single truck shouln't be an issue.

Jay

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm wondering if I might be able to use some to power a boxcab or 2....

Only if you report back on the success, or failure, of the results. After all, it's all just an experiment so failure is an option.

One thing for all of us to keep in mind, if used on both ends of a drive shaft the electrical insulation provided by the plastic will be gone. Make sure all trucks have the same polarity, or are electrically isolated. Single truck shouln't be an issue.

If you are in Rockville in about 10-12 days, maybe you could bring some along and we could talk about these, too?

[Jay Criswell]

Regrettably, we won't be there. Just too far and the expense too great.

Guess we'll have to continue with your posts and mine, keeping in mind, I'm pretty much a mal-functioning illiterate (small print and an old eyeglass prescription don't help much). New reading/computer glasses in a week may help...somewhat.

Anyway, I want to bore the interior of the cups to .126" (they are about .124" right now) and polish everything in my tumbler. A vibrating tumbler might work better but I'll use what I have. My concern is the slightest nick, flash, etc. will create a problem. Maybe not.

I have your address so I can send you some. Do you want the flat removed from the cups? I'm using my lathe with an 1/8" or 4mm (depending on what size is needed) end mill mounted in the tail stock. Because of the flat a twist drill wouln't bore true. Set screws?

Jay

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Regrettably, we won't be there. Just too far and the expense too great.

Unfortunate, but also understandable - there are limits.

Guess we'll have to continue with your posts and mine, keeping in mind, I'm pretty much a mal-functioning illiterate (small print and an old eyeglass prescription don't help much). New reading/computer glasses in a week may help...somewhat.

I have 3 sets of readers now in workplaces where I read a lot or my office - after cataract surgeries a few months ago, I'm mildly far sighted now. A 4th and stronger set of readers are in my shop.

Anyway, I want to bore the interior of the cups to .126" (they are about .124" right now) and polish everything in my tumbler. A vibrating tumbler might work better but I'll use what I have. My concern is the slightest nick, flash, etc. will create a problem. Maybe not.

I have your address so I can send you some. Do you want the flat removed from the cups? I'm using my lathe with an 1/8" or 4mm (depending on what size is needed) end mill mounted in the tail stock. Because of the flat a twist drill wouln't bore true. Set screws?

No idea today; maybe samples of each permutation - I have a boxcab project in the queue that I've been pushing back on that I could let drift to the front of the line. Set screws would be a delightful luxury

[bob turner]

if you want a real test, I do “tender drive”using mostly the NWSL couplings that are glass filled. I have one metal-to-metal coupling that needs to be replaced. It is not worn; it is just kind of noisy and has a self-locking feature that is not fun to fool with. I would pay for your casting and plastic cost and shipping, and adhere to the “test”reporting requirement.

I made the worm, so this is a significant test. I have always avoided making gears for fear I was out of my depth. But it works.

[bob turner]

And one significant by-product of Jay’s experiment is we get to see just how useful lost plastic can be, and we have a source for such activity. Metal casting is now quite difficult to get done - it is now over a year that I have been waiting for my sand cast Erie-built sides. Bob Stevenson still does lost-wax, but I only make contact about once a year.

[Jay Criswell]

My go to guy is David Sciacca (Valley Brass & Bronze). He is in the old Cal Scale building and is local for me. I asked him about shell casting and he told me they did it college but he's not equipped to do it. His lost wax and plastic casting are the best I've found. That he's local and a friend is a huge bonus.

[PRR Man]

potential is the word Jay.
I wondered out loud when this would happen to a popular drive line. Thanks for exploring.
Looking forward to your sprocket experiment.

If I recall correctly, Sterling Instruments makes metal chain that is near the same specs as the delrin chain they produce. Could be a viable, albeit possibly noisier, solution.