Question on Painting Lionel Steam Engines

You have to use a puller to remove the wheels. No other way really. I scribe a witness mark across the wheel center and axle to try to get them close before removing them. Most of the ones assembled this way have knurled axles so if you match the wheel with the axle it came off of it should go back on reasonably quartered.

Pete

Pete, that's what I thought. And yes I knew about making a mark across the wheel and axle.

Thanks for the info.

RAY

Ray, Pete is spot on with his reccomendations, but why do you need to pull the wheels off in the first place to paint? ....please understand, I’m not heckling. I just don’t want to see you become frustrated with wheel removal....it’s a task for sure....I’ve painted many a frame right through the wheels with my trusty air brush and some patience....disconnecting the worm shaft from the worm wheel lets me roll the wheels out of the way for each area that needs coloring....I’ll only pull wheels off anything only as a last resource......I’ve got a MTH Blue Comet on the way that I know has a blue frame and blue wheels...And everything is getting shot in black YIKES! ....but I know I can paint up that rascals frame and drivers while it’s still together....I’m just gonna remove everything that’s held in place with screws and bolts, and get down tho the naked chassis with the drivers.....I’d be more than happy to show you how I do it so you can see.........Pat

Pete,

I have no intentions of removing the wheels for 2 reasons. One, I don't have a wheel puller and don't trust that I can do it correctly. Second, I know that once you pull the wheels, they rarely set back as originally done. 

So I thought I would just leave them on and spray through the spokes by rolling the wheels ever so slow. Although I would appreciate seeing how you do it.

RAY

Ray, I made this puller for flywheels but have used it on some wheels. I have not had to remove a complete set of wheels yet but will be doing so in a month or two on my next project. I have used it to remove single drivers when I replace the cam for the chuff switch. 

Pete

The ease of quartering wheels for steam in O can vary tons. Lionel usually used splines which can ease alignments some. Others do too but that isn't always the case. Some are taper pressed. Still others do drop into a "gearbox" chassis with a cover.

  Early Lionel open frame was made to be rebuilt. Occasionally with special tools, and much of the work "requiring" an arbor press, with rivet set anvils etc, and in the case of wheels, wheel cups that ensure a quartered, straight press, and other jobs too to be done "100% factory correct" (for collecting reasons this can be important)  But a careful mechanic can manage with much less as well if they just operate vs collect, and todays trains differ slightly from what was built postwar  .

I sounds like you're trying to get behind spokes... on what engine? Wheel removal may or may not be hard. Or might be worth paying for the service (?)

If it's early spokes, you might not want to paint it. (its a value thing in O ."Everything is fine" if kept original   (Me? ....I'd drive a Model T with a hemi backwards in the Baja 500 for fun )

I'd consider masking the wheel back and painting sideways with thin paint that levels well, by brush, pad, swab, taunt string, etc.. through spoke spinning of a brush like an old rotory dial phone might work too. 

To spray? I think you nailed it; slow spin and good aim. Mask part of the wheels, but leave a "pie" or two.... or use a masking compound to prevent build up on the spokes before you get to thier topcoats.