WEATHER PROOFING LGB SWITCH MOTORS

Madman

Madman

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I am contemplating the idea of weather proofing my LGB switch and signal motors. Not a wholesale covering of the entire motor, but rather the two terminal screws on the main motor and the six terminal screws on the supplementary switch. Bear in mind that, in the future, I will need access to these screws. I am thinking of filling the area above the screw with some of LGB's graphite paste. Thus allowing a screwdriver to find the screw with little problem. Has anyone tried similar actions?
 
I would be happy figuring out a way to make them ant proof....
 
Graphite paste would have to be applied to each screw individually, as it is conductive.
Silicon grease would be a better option to protect the terminations.
 
I concur with the silicon grease being better theory. In a past life as a (nearly) telephone engineer that is what all the crimp joiners are filled with. It also stops the surface corrosion from creaping back up the conductor, underneath the insulation. Trying to seal the rest of the box would be a bit of a nightmare because of the apperture for the push/pull bar, but a smear round the lid might help some.
 
Madman said:
I am contemplating the idea of weather proofing my LGB switch and signal motors. Not a wholesale covering of the entire motor..
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Silicon grease sounds a good idea. I approached the issue of water ingress and retention in my point motors by drilling a couple of drain holes in each one. As they are above well draining ballast it works for me.
 
Well I only have two point motors at present, more I hope to come, and I had a lot of difficulty getting them to work initially. However the problems were usually sloppy wiring, and also getting the actual moving parts balanced and set up properly. I had to adjust carefully the mounting screws so that the mechanism would do its job reliably. But I managed it. And the motors have now survived two winters, lying underneath a covering of well over a foot of snow. So I now apply the great Harry S Truman edict "if a things not broke, yes you know the rest"
 
So I now apply the great Harry S Truman edict "if a things not broke, yes you know the rest"
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True. It's not exactly like a telephone line, where the next call could be for the emergency services.

:thinking:
 
I use RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant for sealing my DCC point decoders in project boxes, and I've also taken to using it for sealing the terminal screws on point motors and accessory switches etc.

In the UK I buy it from here

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module?ModuleNo=46001

Should be readily available in the USA?
 
Mine are all left out unprotected. The screws on the older ones are as bright as they day they were put in place but the screws on the newer ones have rusted. Im thinking of a bit of vaseline on each screww.
 
Chris M said:
Mine are all left out unprotected. The screws on the older ones are as bright as they day they were put in place but the screws on the newer ones have rusted. Im thinking of a bit of vaseline on each screww.
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Exactly the same situation here, Chris. I definitely think some sort of treatment of the screw heads is important, or one day you are going to want to get in there and guess what?
 
Incidentally I could have pointed out that looking at my avatar, one of the point motors is underneath this little lot
 
In terms of waterproofing LGB point (switch) motors I have used the glue from a heat gun to seal the holes. It can also be removed if desired.

Regards
 
TerrySoham said:
In terms of waterproofing LGB point (switch) motors I have used the glue from a heat gun to seal the holes. It can also be removed if desired.

Regards
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yeah, done that too in the past if the glue-gun's been on the go. At least the silicone doesn't need a power lead trailing round the garden (or a cordless glue gun)!
 
I too thought of using the hot glue gun. But I hesitate because I am afraid that if the glue gets too hot, it may run down into the hole, and be difficult to get out. I like the silicone grease idea, and the silicone caulking idea, as long as I can be careful not to press the nozzle of the caulking gun too close to the holes, so that the silicone just sort of makes a cap, not a cork.

I have also noticed that on some of my switch machines the rusting terminal screws.
 
as long as I can be careful not to press the nozzle of the caulking gun too close to the holes,
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Squeeze it onto a piece of paper/card and apply with more of the same, or a wetted finger.
 
Am I missing something here? why do you need to seal up the holes? the top screws will seal themselves when they tighten into the plastic housing? but to stop them rusting is a good idea though, as for the terminal connections I've never seen rusty ones before? is that on the newer ones perhaps? they don't need sealing really as the damp has plenty of other places to get in!!!....................
 
they don't need sealing really as the damp has plenty of other places to get in!!!....................
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It's not the four screws that hold the box together, but the terminal screws that I am concerned about. Granted, water can still possibly find its way in through the point throw lever or rod, but there's not much that can be done there. And the amount of water getting in at those two points would be minimal, unless the switch machine is sitting in a pool of water. But the terminal screws are in a perfect place for water that happens to sit on the machine, not to mention heavy rains that could conceivably drive water into them. The other six screws on the supplementary switch are in the same situation.

One other place, which I did not mention, is the joint where the supplementary switch joins the main body of the switch machine. I think it too should be considered when talking about waterproofing these machines.

I don't believe that the entire mechanism should be sealed in a bubble. Number one, it can't be done. Number two, and most important, any water that does get in should have a way out. That is why I am only considering sealing the top openings.
 
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