When I was watching Mike R talk about the cut wave and smoke units he said they always add smoke fluid with a small needle point oiler with smoke fluid in and makes for a much neater application. I use labelle 107 oil on my locos and the bottle just went near emply. I added some smoke fluid to the bottle and shook it to clean out the bottle, dumped out the fluid and then filled. Works great and when I put the needle to the bottom of the smoke unit (felt the bottom. just one quick squeeze and I took it out. Clean as a whistle application and a bonus. The smoke unit smokes better and doesn't get weaker as when you add too much. If you have another eye dropper test out how much one squeeze is by doing it into the other dropper. Then tip up the eye dropper so the fluid goes down to see what you are adding to the smoke unit. It doesn't take much of a squeeze to = one eye dropper full.
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JT's Megasteam makes similar bottles for just a few bucks
The disposable earpieces at your doctor's office make good funnels.
JT's Megasteam makes similar bottles for just a few bucks
I get mine from JT's also. I like to support those business which add to the O gauge hobby.
Steve, Lady and Tex
I always use a drug store eyedropper to add smoke fluid.
These are very nice bottles for smoke fluid or oil also for $3
Needle Oil Bottle with stainless steel tip and scabbard. (empty)
At bottom of engine cradle list. They have very nice engine cradles as well.
Lionel supplies some plastic droppers with small tips now. I found them on line and bought some smaller ones yet. They are actually meant for feeding birds as disposable pipettes. Very cheap.
I use Woodland Scenics Hob-E-Lube at the shop and save the empties. I now have about 6 bottle filled with various scents. Some for the garage, some for the travel kit.
Steve
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I just use the little funnel that Lionel provide with the locomotives, and count the drops from the Mega-Steam dropper. I then blow gently down the exhaust stack to clear any bubbles etc. With a little care, and patience, when filling I haven't found any need yet for fancier methods.
After adding smoke fluid I use a pipette to blown down the stack. It saves leaning over the layout to blow into the stack. I have used them for over a year, they work great.
They cost $5.00 - $6.00 for a pack of 100. Plastic Transfer 3ml.
These are very nice bottles for smoke fluid or oil also for $3
Needle Oil Bottle with stainless steel tip and scabbard. (empty)
At bottom of engine cradle list. They have very nice engine cradles as well.
I have a couple of the needle point bottles, I use one for smoke fluid.
One issue with these is, you don't actually know how much you're putting in. I've learned to roughly "calibrate" the number of drops from the length of the squeeze, but it's far from an exact science. I suspect it's easy to over-fill the smoke unit with these.
Don't have a picture but something easy that I came up with that works well for me.
All my engines are MTH and they recommend a certain number of drops, which BTW, I usually add more - I usually add around 25.
I use an eye-dropper. What I did was fill an eye dropper with water and dispense 25 drops into a small cup. Empty the eye-dropper completely. Suck up the water from the cup back into the dropper. I then used a permanent pen to mark a line showing how much of the dropper is filled with 25 drops.
Then when refill time comes it's really easy to get the right amount of fluid in the smoke basin WITHOUT having to count.
OH, I also use a small funnel too.
- walt
I use Woodland Scenics Hob-E-Lube at the shop and save the empties. I now have about 6 bottle filled with various scents. Some for the garage, some for the travel kit.
Steve
Steve,
I know yours are free, but the ones I posted above look just like the one in your picture for anyone else that's interested. No good picture of them on the website I posted.
Originally Posted by Spence:
These are very nice bottles for smoke fluid or oil also for $3
Needle Oil Bottle with stainless steel tip and scabbard. (empty)
At bottom of engine cradle list. They have very nice engine cradles as well.
Spence,
You are welcome. See my reply to Steve above, the bottles look just like the one he posted. I have their engine cradle too, also nice. Comes with the little foam bottle holder things too. If you want, you can get them in shorter lengths and then combine them for longer locos.
I have not had any issues with adding smoke fluid with the applicator provided with the Mega Steam product. Works for me.
We use a turkey baster to add smoke fluid
We use a turkey baster to add smoke fluid
Most appropriate for a layout of such grand proportions!