Just got a jar of Bullfrog Snot for traction. Hesitant to use it on my wheels and get it on the track. Anyone have any experience with this stuff?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Well, personally I think it's junk, I've tried it twice and was unimpressed both times.
@MartyR posted:Just got a jar of Bullfrog Snot for traction.
Please be advised that it is designed to replace traction tires, i.e. layer it in the traction tire groove in those specific wheels.
Hesitant to use it on my wheels and get it on the track.
See above response. It is NOT really meant for application to all wheels. Plus, once it fully dries/cures, it will NOT get all over your track.
Anyone have any experience with this stuff?
Yes. I found it worked very well on some large articulated steam locomotive models that were extremely difficult to install new traction tires on. Thus, I simply turned the models up-side-down in a foam cradle, hooked up jumpers to the track power, and ran the model at a VERY slow speed in order to apply the Bullfrog Snot very carefully.
Actually, I'm pretty sure that it was actually initially designed to be used on wheels that aren't grooved for traction tires, though recently they've started talking about filling the grooves in traction tires on their site.
My personal experience is a one time buy and wont buy again. It was junk and came right off. By the time I got around to trying it again it had dried up in the bottle.
Same experience I had, and I made sure the top was on tight. A month later and it was solid green mass.
I tried it with no success. I think it is designed for the smaller scales.
It could be the best product in the world and I still could not bring myself to buying some.
Someone in marketing was either asleep at the wheel or had too many mai tai's at lunch one day.
I tried BULLFROG SNOT on the driving wheels of a lightweight (plastic body) Marx locomotive to improve its "traction," but it didn't help much. I wanted an "secret advantage" to win a loco drag race contest, but lost to a locomotive that was "souped up" with double-stick carpet tape applied to its driving wheels. 20/20 hindsight ... perhaps a better approach would have been to add weight to the loco for a better "grip" on the rails.
When I decided to remove BULLFROG SNOT, it was very difficult to remove completely; even with Acetone, carefully applied.
Sometimes a product with a jazzy name doesn't meet expectations despite marketing hype. Lesson learned; thankfully with no really bad consequences.
Mike Mottler LCCA 12394
Many years ago someone on this forum recommended black RTV silicone. A tube was about $5 from the auto parts store. That was ten years ago and although I don't run these a lot, the silicone is still working. The key is 3-4 thin coats allowing the silicone to cure completely between applications. For me this was about 2 days. It took a week, but it was worth it. Just my personal experience. Good luck,
Bob
I've only used it on a small two-person hand cart that was having trouble getting up a small grade and it worked fine. It does have to be re-applied very few months depending on how much I run it, but it hasn't dried up in the bottle in over a year. I do think there's technique to applying it and letting it dry completely.
Worst case scenario is generally that it doesn't work; you're out a few bucks; and you have to scrape it off - not that difficult with a Dremel and small wire wheel.
I tested it about 10 years ago on an MTH 2 rail N&W J. The purpose was a temporary solution to pull more heavy Overland brass passenger cars up a 3 percent grade until I could get weight added to the locomotive. It got me from 5 without BFS to 7 cars so I was pretty happy since that was a typical consist for the Arrow. The stuff will gradually harden with black crud from the rails and need to be reapplied.
Adding weight to the engine without BFS resulted in the ability to run 12+ passenger cars for the N&W Pocahontas and Cavalier up the 3 percent grade, a much better solution.
I can see that there might be circumstances where there is no place to add weight and BFS might be the best solution. It would probably be my last resort.
I tried it a few years ago after having no luck finding tires to fit an older brass Williams K4s. What I found was that if you take your time, apply it evenly and give it at least overnight to cure, it's a good alternative to traction tires when they aren't available. Use a very small brush and be sure you only apply it to the groove in the driver where the traction tire would normally go. I also made sure the drivers were clean to start with, allowing for better adhesion once the BFS cured.
My biggest complaint about the product is the shelf-life after the jar is opened. It doesn't last long at all.
If I could find tires for my Williams & Weaver locos, I'd use them. Bottom line, BFS isn't perfect, but when the right tires aren't available, it's a good alternative.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, personally I think it's junk, I've tried it twice and was unimpressed both times.
Same here !
Hi, I use Gamblin Gamsol Mineral Spirits (artists oil paint thinner) to "refresh" Bullfrog Snot. Works good for me!!
Dick
I wonder if medium or heavy wall heat shrink tubing would be a way to get decent traction tires:
Rats, I was hoping to read that this stuff works. Not to hijack the thread, but any better suggestions for a pre-war O27 2-6-2? It was my grandfather's, and I recall him rarely running it for the same experience I'm having. No magnetraction, no traction tires, and light weight enables it to pull 3 cars.
BFS works if you take your time with it and you have wheels that are designed for traction tires. It's far from perfect, but it makes the difference between a shelf queen and a runner when tires aren't available.
As for your prewar loco, a 3-car consist is just about all it was designed to pull. Back in the prewar days, most sets were only 3 or 4 cars, no doubt to stay at a price point, so that's what they will pull. Short of removing 2 of the drivers and finding a machinist who could put a groove in them, I don't know what to suggest. It might be worth asking Henning's Trains about it.
Frank Timko is my go-to guy for stuff like traction tire grooves, he does a lot of that kind of thing. Come to think of it John, he could probably solve your problem with oddball groove sizes in wheels that you can't get tires for. 
