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Cast iron vs ductile iron vs steel

Dave Farquhar DIY March 28, 2022March 13, 2022

I heard a discussion at a hardware store about the types of metal that tools are made of, and the impact it has on cost and on flexibility. I thought it was worthwhile to share and elaborate on some of what I heard. What’s the difference between cast iron vs ductile iron vs steel? Generally, it’s strength, hardness, and flexibility. And those factors generally come down to the carbon mixture.

Ductile iron is a form of cast iron, but it has carbon mixed into the alloy to make it more flexible, less brittle, and give it a higher strength overall. Steel is also a mixture of carbon and iron, but it has less carbon than ductile iron, the precise mix depends on the properties you want. Read more

Lionel Scout motor repair

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 24, 2022June 23, 2022

The plastic Lionel Scout motor is legendary. I don’t mean in a good way. It worked well enough when it was new, but it didn’t age as well as Lionel’s other motor designs. And Lionel Scout motor repair is notoriously difficult.

The usual advice on Scout motors goes something like this. If it works, enjoy it while it lasts, but once one of them stops working, having a professional fix it costs more than the whole locomotive is worth. It’s nothing like the Marx motor it competed with, which is legendary for its simplicity, reliability, and being easy to fix. But while it’s certainly a hassle, you can fix a Scout motor that runs poorly, and you can do it yourself with household tools.

What was a Token Ring network?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing March 23, 2022October 22, 2022

What was a Token Ring network? Token Ring is an obsolete networking technology that competed with Ethernet in the 1980s and 1990s. It is more of a curiosity today, but sometimes Token Ring network cards turn up and they can be confusing.

What is lithium grease used for

Dave Farquhar DIY March 22, 2022March 19, 2022

Lithium grease is a useful lubricant with a lot of applications around the home and shop. You may be familiar with it if you do your own mechanical work, but even if you’re like me and you don’t, it can make your life easier in a lot of ways.

Transfer cassette to digital

Dave Farquhar 1980s March 21, 2022December 5, 2025

Sometimes you want or need to transfer your old media to digital. This includes cassette tapes. Let’s talk about the reasons why you might want to transfer cassette tapes to digital or convert cassettes to digital as well as how you go about casssette to digital conversion on your computer.

Cleaning American Flyer track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 17, 2022April 7, 2022

There are any number of approaches to cleaning American Flyer track, and the right way to do it really depends on whether the track is on the layout and can or cannot be removed, and whether the track is just dirty or if it is also rusty. So here is how to clean the track to get it working and something you can do so you may not ever have to clean it again.

What dedicated wireless backhaul is

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking March 16, 2022March 12, 2022

Dedicated wireless backhaul is an important feature that probably doesn’t get enough attention. When you see wireless networking hardware that supports dedicated backhaul, that can be a big advantage for you. Let’s talk about what dedicated wireless backhaul is, what it can do for you, and how to find it.

Are cassette tapes worth anything?

Dave Farquhar General March 15, 2022September 8, 2023

Are cassette tapes worth anything? Are cassette tapes worth collecting? Those are not the same question, and the answer to both is changing. There was a time when very few cassette tapes were worth enough money to be worth bothering with. But they are starting to become collectible.

When audio tapes were new, they were all about practicality. Vinyl records and CDs had major advantages over cassettes unless you were listening in your car, or needed a smaller form factor for any other reason.

Fix slimy plastic

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing March 14, 2022March 14, 2022

Rubberized plastic has a tendency to degrade and get slimy as it ages. So what was once a nice input device becomes too gross to use right about the time it gets retro enough to be cool again. Fortunately you can fix it. Here’s how to fix slimy plastic.

Model Products Corporation, or MPC

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 10, 2022May 12, 2022

Model Products Corporation was a leading brand of plastic model kits from the 1950s to 2011. It frequently went by the acronym MPC. It should not be confused with another contemporary toy company, Multiple Products Company, which was a leading maker of plastic army men from 1954 to about 1979. This company also went by MPC.

In the context of Lionel, “MPC” refers to this company, Model Products Corporation, that was also owned by General Mills in the 1970s and 1980s. General Mills merged the two company operations, hoping for synergy.