Plastic wheel bushes

[PeteScR]

Does anyone know of a source for plastic top hat style bush inserts that would suit Keen Maygib wheels? I have tried ones I got from Branchlines but they are too big.

Thank You

[zebedeesknees]

I too am in the market for similar, 2mm od x 1mm (tight) id. Some came to me with P87 wheelsets with 1mm diameter axles, where they formed insulation for the otherwise all metal wheels. They could have come from a now gone Canadian enterprise, or the P87 Stores. I believe they were marketed by NorthWest Short Line, but their website has become a mess, and I can't find them mentioned in their 'historic' parts list.

Perhaps Andy Reichert could help

Ted.

[Jol Wilkinson]

The stores list the Exactoscale axle parallel bearings

4CW603B - Bearings parallel 1mm i/d 2mm o/d (phosphor bronze) (Exactoscale)

Could these suit?

[Weskie]

Have you tried looking at PTFE bushes used in fishing poles? A search on Ebay finds various sizes. Weather they are any use?

[PeteScR]

Its not bearings I am after. Its the black plastic wheel inserts for the axle.

Pete

[Jol Wilkinson]

Pete,

I don't know of a supplier who lists what you want as a "spare" part.

If you are fitting them into KM wheels which normally have a plastic centre, then a metal bush should be okay especially if fitted onto a 1.0mm diameter axle with Loctite, as is the case with assembling Exactoscale carriage and wagon wheels sets.

Jol

[zebedeesknees]

Its not bearings I am after. Its the black plastic wheel inserts for the axle.

Pete

Hi Pete, I did read your original post! But you haven't given the other dimensions. There is 2mm and 2mm; sliding, interference, and tight. I presume that you want the od to be at least interference in the wheel? The hole in the wheel would be tight on a 2mm axle, so are you looking to use a smaller axle diameter, or are they loco wheels for 1/8" axles?

Ted.

[PeteScR]

Its not bearings I am after. Its the black plastic wheel inserts for the axle.

Pete

Hi Pete, I did read your original post! But you haven't given the other dimensions. There is 2mm and 2mm; sliding, interference, and tight. I presume that you want the od to be at least interference in the wheel? The hole in the wheel would be tight on a 2mm axle, so are you looking to use a smaller axle diameter, or are they loco wheels for 1/8" axles?

Ted.

Ted, These are diesel loco wheels I am fitting. The wheels are way out of alignment and need new bushes. The axle is 2mm and the plastic bush needs to be a tight fit on the axle and the OD where it fits into the wheel. The rough OD of one of the removed bushes is about 2.4mm. Ive seen some very fine brass tube online that I may have a go at fitting to see if it helps, given replacements seem to be impossible to find.

Pete

[zebedeesknees]

Ted, These are diesel loco wheels I am fitting. The wheels are way out of alignment and need new bushes. The axle is 2mm and the plastic bush needs to be a tight fit on the axle and the OD where it fits into the wheel. The rough OD of one of the removed bushes is about 2.4mm. Ive seen some very fine brass tube online that I may have a go at fitting to see if it helps, given replacements seem to be impossible to find.

That bush od would be 3/32". Being imperial, the brass tube has imperial ids too. Eileen's supply one of 3/32" with a bore of 1/16", or near enough 1.6mm.
https://www.eileensemporium.com/materia ... -o-section

If you have, or have access to the equipment, drilling 1.9mm would give you a good fit, but would lose the insulation.
Alternatively, Eileens do Plastruct tube at 2.4 od, but the wall thickness is 0.5mm, so taking it out to 1.9 isn't going to leave much room for error. I would glue the tube into the wheel first, then leave it for a day before opening the bore out to 1.9mm.

Of course, those bushes might be available from the USA somewhere...

Ted.

[Terry Bendall]

I have lots of OO wheels with bushes going spare of they are of any use.

Terry Bendall

[PeteScR]

Terry, thanks. I've got loads too but I find the the bushes are a one time use and get distorted and we end up with wonky wheels.

Thanks for all the suggestions Ted, I'll give these some thought.

Pete

[Horsetan]

I think wheel insulation bushes - that's what they are usually described as - are available from Weinert Modellbau or Teichmann

Herr Teichmann is a major source of standard wheel castings for 1:87 German locos, yet garners very little publicity and has virtually no Internet presence other than references to his products by other modellers. His contact details are:

Teichmann Spezialmodelle,
Karl-Marx-Straße 2,
99610 Sömmerda,
Germany

Tel. 03634/608597

[ClikC]

Hi PeteScR,

Wheels are an utter bugbear of mine when it come to modelling in P4, and conversations in general, and no doubt like yourself have witnessed deplorable running due wheels being out of square with the axel. Although I've found Kean-Maygib's to have been the best conversions I've managed to make.

I was looking for insulating wheel bushes myself some for a whole other project, and on RMweb Ivan (Horsetan) pointed me at these: https://www.fohrmann.com/en/insulating-bushes.html

I've not tried them for what you want to do with them, but it might be worth a punt.

Alternatively, you can get free samples from the likes of:
https://www.vital-parts.co.uk/nylon-bushes-446-c.asp
https://bpfonline.co.uk/search.asp?catid=11064

Regards

Matt