Will Magnets Work?

tjdreams Jan 27, 2019

  1. tjdreams

    tjdreams TrainBoard Member

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    What's the best way to temporarily secure a load to a flat car?

    At the last show i tried to run some of AZL's 89' flats with military loads and quickly found out that the Woodland Scenics "Sticky Spots" i had used to hold the loads in place didn't work as well as i had hoped. And Now 3 months later Just getting around to putting them away in their original boxes I find that Some loads held ok while others would not sit flat and even more just came loose.

    So now i'm looking for a better way to hold the loads in place.
    I thought about CA or maybe UV type glue but then they would be permanently attached them to the cars.
    A while back i picked up some 1/16 diameter 1/32 thick disk magnets and had thought about drilling a shallow hole in the underside of the turrets and a matching hole in the tank bodies to hold the turrets in place, but never got around to trying it. Now i'm wondering if i could just use magnets to hold the loads in place on the cars?

    It would be easy enough to glue a tiny magnet to the top of the car and another to the underside of the load But what would this do to the value of the cars and their loads?
    I've also thought about drilling a tiny hole in the underside of the cars center beam and inserting a small magnet. This would leave the top of the car looking neat and clean with no permanent marks or glue spots.

    So i guess my question is do you think Magnets will work ?
    And would there be any negative side to using magnets?

    David
     
  2. J o e

    J o e TrainBoard Member

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    I use Poster Putty / Fun-Tak (it goes by a couple different names) to secure loads to cars. It's in expensive, repositionable, and you just break off the amount you need for the load on the car. I typically only use 4-6 very small thin dots of this stuff on the load/car. It's available at Walmart, Staples, etc. and is usually either white, yellow, or blue in color.

    Another option is Woodland Scenics Accent Glue. It's a bit more sticky than the Poster Putty, but it's not a permanent adhesive which allows you to reposition whatever it's stuck to. I prefer the Poster Putty over the accent glue because I think it's easier to clean from a car/load, but both should work for what you're trying to do without permanently altering the car or load.

    Joe
     
  3. Kez

    Kez TrainBoard Member

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    What Joe said! Dave, this is the stuff I use for all my loads. Smashes virtually flat, and stays pretty darn well, yet lifts off easily. I would stay away from the magnets for varying reasons.
     
  4. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Funny, my Mom used this stuff all the time to hang pics, her little figures and all on shelves, etc.! It was in front of me the whole time! Works awesome for just about anything!:rolleyes::LOL:
     
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  5. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    And if that doesn’t work, don’t forget 560 Canopy glue. It bonds, but can be peeled off. This would be more for a semi permanent load. You could remove it later without damage to either piece, but it isn’t repositionable lik for an operating session.
     
    bostonjim likes this.
  6. bostonjim

    bostonjim TrainBoard Member

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    Hi, all. Is poster putty the same as gallery putty? It sounds like it. It is used in museums and art galleries for displaying small objects. It is easily applied and removed and doesn't leave any residue. Jim
     
  7. markm

    markm TrainBoard Supporter

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    We're probably all talking about the same putty, but here in California we have earthquake putty that works well.
     
  8. Loren Snyder

    Loren Snyder TrainBoard Member

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    David,

    I like your idea of magnets and the ones you describe are just right. Magnets can be used in all sorts of applications, such as holding a removable bridge in place as Robert Ray has done and I use magnets on my moving highway scene. If concerned about resale value of the cars, use a very 'tiny' drop of hot glue to secure the magnet to the car itself and the loads will never lose their value as long as you don't spill them;)
     
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