Wanted - Hillman Clamps

SevenOfDiamonds said:
Without wishing to get Gizzy's hopes up, I have some Hillman-Clamps-for-LGB-Rail in my "spares" box . . . but I plan to use them * unless anyone can supply me with a decent quantity of Hillman-Clamps-for-Tenmille-Rail.
Click to expand...
Having compared Tenmille (made in Suffolk just up the road from where I work), I know the 'foot' part of the rail is narrower than LGB. The method used by Neil to join the two makes, was to file down a short section of the foot on LGB to match Tenmille.

Your idea to join Tenmille to Tenmille is a good one and I'm wondering if they can supply a Hillman type clamp for their own track.... :think:
 
SevenOfDiamonds said:
Without wishing to get Gizzy's hopes up, I have some Hillman-Clamps-for-LGB-Rail in my "spares" box . . . but I plan to use them * unless anyone can supply me with a decent quantity of Hillman-Clamps-for-Tenmille-Rail. However, I've asked on here before with little success (I think someone offered me two), so I don't feel hopeful.

Yet another object lesson in "buy more than you think you need" because you can't guarantee that things you take for granted will be around for ever.

* What I've resorted to doing is joining two pieces of Tenmille rail with a "for LGB Rail" clamp, adding two short lengths of wire (stripped from electric cable) to allow the clamp to "bite" (on both foot and web). This is a picture of my "proof of concept", with unnecessarily long bits of wire . . .

View attachment 265403

Sorry if I'm causing this thread to drift.

All the best

David
Click to expand...
Have you checked whether TrackShack have any Accucraft clamps in stock? They have a sloping underside to the jaw, and will accommodate different rail profiles :nod::nod:
 
Greg Elmassian said:
I would not pay over $1 per clamp for used clamps, especially in that condition, so I guess the seller is depending on people wanting exactly that brand of clamp (which might make it worth it to some people)

Greg
Click to expand...
They'll soon clean up in some ketchup or Coca Cola!

I would have done that before putting them on Evilbuy then you can say they are like new!

The one's Chuggy sent me will need cleaning up, but I'm a happy chappy none the less....
 
Still looking for more Hillman clamps.

Also now considering the Piko ones please, as I am running out....
 
Gizzy said:
They'll soon clean up in some ketchup or Coca Cola!

I would have done that before putting them on Evilbuy then you can say they are like new!

The one's Chuggy sent me will need cleaning up, but I'm a happy chappy none the less....
Click to expand...
I would have you know that there was one brand new, sparkling, clean one among that lot :wait::wait::wait::wait:

Anyway, I never clean em, there's no point - they have a very solid fit to the rail profile, and the clamping up does enough to make bare metal to metal contact. I did clean the track ends.

OK, I'm lazy, but I get very little voltage drop. On the one or two odd occasions that I've had connectivity problems it has proven to be:

An Aristo fishplate where I forgot to insert the grub screw in the first place on the far side of the track :eek:

An Aristo fishplate where the grub screw has worked loose.

Anyway, you've seen the trains run :nod::nod:
 
Rhinochugger said:
I would have you know that there was one brand new, sparkling, clean one among that lot :wait::wait::wait::wait:

Anyway, I never clean em, there's no point - they have a very solid fit to the rail profile, and the clamping up does enough to make bare metal to metal contact. I did clean the track ends.

OK, I'm lazy, but I get very little voltage drop. On the one or two odd occasions that I've had connectivity problems it has proven to be:

An Aristo fishplate where I forgot to insert the grub screw in the first place on the far side of the track :eek:

An Aristo fishplate where the grub screw has worked loose.

Anyway, you've seen the trains run :nod::nod:
Click to expand...
Have to say when I started to use Hillmans I was quite fastidious about cleaning the rail ends, but when I moved here 7 years I was not so fussy with all of the track and as you say the clamping action tends to somehow get super contact. Though I have now given up track power in the Garden, I expect that with a clean of the rail heads all will still be just fine.
 
The Hillmans square channel "bites" into the rail foot more than clamps have have a "V" shaped wedge. That is a key advantage and verified by not needing to clean things so much when using used clamps or uncleaned rail, since you always have a sharp edge to help this.

On the other hand, the square notch, and smaller diameter screws have other disadvantages, which can mostly be mitigated by not overtightening the screw.

Some people need the tighter connection, to control the rail slipping in the clamp, like me, with slippery stainless rail. Thus my personal use of the more robust split jaws (now also out of business)

Too bad they (Hillmans) are gone, and their lift out bridge connectors were the best.

Greg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom