Now you went and done it. Letting all know you were a lawyer. Your muscles are so strong in your arms from years of trying to wrestle your fees from clients. LoL

Well, a business attorney, whose word was as good as gold. And, since every deal closed, I got paid in full at closing.  No wrestling necessary.    A different breed from trial lawyers, who unfortunately have to perpetuate and defend whatever "story" their clients come up with, even if they don't believe it, and often go unpaid, especially when that big green door slams shut on their client.

But enough about me.  What about the ZW handles?

Mannyhrock

Anybody ever thought of filling in the long hollow space in the handles with Brownell's Accra-Glass Gel, a super strength acrylic product that is used to glass bed rifles?

Mannyrock

No

Pat

Which ZW are you talking about. There are the original ZW's that are 60+ years old, the ZW-C from the 1990's and the most recent ZW-L. I've had all 3, and would only complain about the ZW-C. And it's way more than just the handles with them.

Gerry

Interesting.  Did those earlier ZW's have more substantial handles?

Mannyrock

Utilize one of the four baseplates mounting holes to drop a bolt thru to the table and you will not have to worry about knocking it off of your table. I’ve never seen any postwar ZW cost anywhere near $1000, not sure what over priced antique/boutique stores you were shopping in, LOL.

When I was a young boy I had a uncle who had a PW ZW and I always loved it. We had a RW which still did a good job running Dad's 681. I now have three PW ZW's in operation that my two five year old grandsons use quite frequently and durability has never been a issue.

Well, saw this on Amazon today:

$988.82

Or $58.37 /mo (24 mo).

Select from 1 plan

And, this Ad from Charles Ro Supply Co.:

L37921 - *ZWL TRANSFORMER (620 WATTS)

Your Price: $874.99

In Stock.

Part Number:L37921

@Mannyrock posted:

I was stunned at how flimsy and cheap the handles feel.     Hollow, thin plastic, that feels as if I could snap them off with a simple hard pull.  And this is an electrical device that can cost up to $1,000 ?? !!

@Mannyrock You are 100% correct. The new Lionel ZW-L, at least from the production run marked from July 2022, all have flimsy loose handles. By comparison, @MartyE had sent me a video of a much older ZW-L which looked to have more solid handles that did not wobble like the new ZW-L's do.

Your post is for a ZW transformer which is a postwar item and not a modern ZW-L or ZW-C transformer. Hence my reply for a postwar ZW, details are important.

@gmorlitz posted:

Which ZW are you talking about. There are the original ZW's that are 60+ years old, the ZW-C from the 1990's and the most recent ZW-L. I've had all 3, and would only complain about the ZW-C. And it's way more than just the handles with them.

Gerry

Very true the C version was the cheapest feeling the L version is rock solid.

Sorry for the confusion I created Rich.  I don't know a pre-war, from a post-war, to a modern one.

The one I examined in the store was a new one.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Well Bruce,

I guess that we really can't blame them for the cheap handles on the ZW-L.   It probably saved them about $4.00 on the manufacture of their $1,000.00 item.  :-)

If I get one, I will put a section of 20 penny nail inside of the handle, and then fill it with Acra Glass.

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

Sorry for the confusion I created Rich.  I don't know a pre-war, from a post-war, to a modern one.

The one I examined in the store was a new one.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

Within the “new one” their are a few models as well

I have yet to hear about any problems with the ZW-L, but there is always a first time.  Unless you're the Incredible Hulk, the handles should be safe. Dropping it on a concrete floor would be a bad idea, but that's a given for anything short of an anvil or a marshmellow.   I rather doubt that filling the handle with extraneous material is going to make any difference from an engineering standpoint.  The handles on my three year old ZW-L seem very solid and robust to me, almost feel like they are made of metal, which I doubt they are.  As I recall the handles on the ZW-C were less rugged in feel, but that was many years ago.