[rbednarik]

Brian,

I'd have to agree with Jeff here, there are some quite close matches for the paint (Duplicolor cast coat iron being one of them), or you could just paint it flat black since it is only the inside of the stack, which would get stained by the cinders and soot anyways.

I find it hard to believe that Hans wouldn't want to give you another stack, but I do not think that lashing out on aster's customer service was level-headed. They have been able to get parts for me for engines that are 20-30 years old, with no questions asked, and at a reasonable rate.

 

[rbednarik]

Brian

Once again, I was not bashing you at all, sorry that you have misconstrued my statement. Not knowing how your conversation went, I can only speculate that there might have been some over-reacting. Yes, the baking on of steam oil and chipping of paint will occur on the mikados, but I have never been turned down for a part that was needed. I never once stated you were lying, I was just speculating based on my on-going relations with Hans and Aster. Oil will bake on most paint surfaces, this is not only limited to aster engines. Almost all locomotives have this issue, due to excessive heat in the smokebox and very thin paint/insulation, it's a proven fact that it will happen.

Brian, for someone who works in customer service, you certainly have thin patience when it comes to minor issues. Yes, you should not have to fix the paint problem, but considering you just spent a good amount of time building that kit, maybe you should run it some more, enjoy the fruits of your labor. The engine will not stay pristine forever, if you wanted it to do that, then it should have been kept in the box. I equate this to owning your first new car. The forst ding, nick or scratch will aggravate you to no end, but in the long run, if you wanted to keep it perfect, then it should have been left in the showroom.

 

[rbednarik]

Brian,

Just a suggestion, maybe advertise your engine here and on other forums before getting a refund. You might turn a profit, even for one slightly damaged i have seen them go for 4500+ with an axlepump.

I'm sure someone would be more than willing to take it off your hands.

 

[rbednarik]

Brian,


You have to understand that people who have dealt with Hans have to be skeptical towards your story, unfortunately it seems that you think everyone is out to rain on your parade/insult you. Let me assure you that is far from the case. No one is saying you are to blame, but we can only judge based upon your testimony and the experience that others have had. We are only trying to help you remedy the situation.


Aster does have the parts in stock...in the main warehouse in Japan. You seem to forget that Hans and the other Distributors are only that, distributors. They only carry what is necessary to fill out orders, nothing more. The occasional bags of screws and other consumables, but that is about it.


I for one have no issue waiting for parts that I know are of OEM quality or better. Will you receive the part? Yes. Might it take longer, probably.


FYI,
Steam oil WILL bake onto the porous castings of smoke boxes in time, and that is a FACT It has happened to most all aster engines, some, like the Mikados, get it worse than others. It is completely situation dependent.


I am going to leave it at that. God forbid if this turns into another bashing thread....

 

[rbednarik]

As has been mentioned before, a good, oversize o ring also is a good way to prevent the fan from rotating and keeps the screw heads (which are what can scratch paint) elevated a bit. A simple solution to a common problem, I have used it for many years with great success.