A tool designed to remove shafts and objects off of shafts.
I like the NorthWest Short Line Puller.
I HATE the NWSL Puller.
Here is what you get in the box.
The problem is several fold.
1. The tips on those screws are larger than 1.5 mm. But most of the shafts I work with in N are 1.5mm and sometimes 1mm. So you can't get the tip INTO the worm or flywheel.
2. The stock tips are small. But your shaft is small. And a small shaft pushing on a smaller shaft.... when you can't hold the thing because of all the parts........ something walks sideways and it all pops off. AHHHHHHHHH! (especially if my shaft is now slightly damaged).
3. The gap in the puller frame is just too big for many N scale applications. Unfortunately, I DO need a gap that big when trying to get a flywheel off a motor since the motor often sits in the gap. But that is the ONLY time that gap is needed. The rest of the time it is unhelpful. NWSL makes a Puller 2 with a smaller gap. Without mods, you almost need 2 Pullers- one for motors and flywheels, and a Puller 2 for worm shafts.
4. The V-shaped gap in the steel plate is too wide for most N scale applications. Our shafts are tiny. And that big/unneeded gap makes the plate weaker than it needs to be. I've actually had them bend in tough situations.
As for the tiny shafts in N scale, NWSL has made an adapter that is SUPPOSED to help. I've never used it, but it looks like one MORE thing to hold on to in what can be a complex set-up. sigh.
I have not even had a desire to try it out.
All of this was so frustrating and came to a head when I damaged the threads on my Puller.
So I needed to buy another.
And some time after.... that's when the heavens parted and an idea came into my head.
Since I now had 2 sets of everything, why not start making my own adaptations?
And I found my hardware store carries these screws- so I bought a few more.
So here is what I have now.....
Left to right.....
Stock fatter tip.
Stock slimmer tip (I almost never use now). Mainly used for steam wheels.
Kitbashed fatter tip- so that it now has a tip of about .7mm and can go inside a 1mm hole.
Kitbashed slimmer tip that has been tapered so that the end 1/4 can go inside a 1.5 mm hole. I use this a lot since most N scale shafts are 1.5mm
A purchased screw unmodified. Totally flat surface. Used for one step in the process- to get shafts exactly equal with the edge of the worm.
A purchased screw in which I drilled an indentation about 1.7mm. So a 1.5 mm shaft will go in. Doesn't have to be deep. THIS is the lifesaver.
I also took my bent plate (flattened out) and drilled two holes in it.
The big hole is about 1.7mm for a typical N scale shaft.
The smaller hole is about 1.2 mm for a 1 mm shaft.
This has also been a life-saving step.
NOW I have a setup I can use.
For the TP56, I have a worm on a 1mm shaft I must remove.
I place the worm and shaft into the small drilled hole in the plate and use the flat screw with the notch.
The smaller screw hole in the plate helps hold the worm and I don't have to jiggle with that steel plate to hold it all together.
The notch in the screw HOLDS the dang thing in place and keeps everything from moving sideways. No more walking shafts.
As you can see, once engaged, I don't even have to hold this thing. It holds itself.
No more needing 3 or 4 hands!
I go until the screw with the notch touches the worm. That's as far as this one will go. But easy as pie to get to here.
I then use the stock purchased flat screw to go the rest of the way.
I then use my kitbashed screw with the micro tip to push the worm shaft and go INTO the worm hole without damaging anything. This is really the only tricky step since I don't want to gouge the brass. Usually this is all the distance I need to get the worm off. If it still bites the shaft I can use another tool to tap the shaft out.
No damage.
Easy as pie.
My sanity is restored.
And by the way. Obviously I shaped those tips with a motor tool and ceramic cut off disc.
