Hello,

I've recently heard of a substance referred to as 'boxcar caulk', for filling gaps in equipment.

A basic Google Search didn't give me any nibbles.

Does anyone know if something like that is still made, and what the name might be?

Or even a similar substance that is readily available? I don't know what I'm hoping for, but squirting tubes of silicon caulk into our problem areas doesn't sound appealing.

Thank you,

James

I'd bet what is being referred to is a substance called "car cement". It was probably not related to concrete at all; more like a thick roof tar mixed with thickeners (sand? sawdust? vitatmin A?). It did set up to a rather non-flexible surface. Not a subsitute for real metal repairs. It was used as an undercoating on freight car underframes by some railroads, used on corrugated steel boxcar ends by others. In effect, an early version of automotve undercoat.

Plenty of references to the stuff in Car Builder's Cycs of the 30s-40s-50s.

Hope this helps.

Howard P.

3M should have something that can do the job:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... Dir/Trans/

Dave

"Caulk" has several different but once related meanings; if this is from period literature, it likely means oakum, which could be driven into the gaps to keep grain from leaking out.

A little more detail might help. What types of gaps in what equipment? Wood or metal? Steel? Brass? Etc.

Whenever I ask a question like that the answer usually is Bondo.

Thank you for the replies.

Our ex-commuter coaches have gaps between the sides and the floor. The sides are steel, and the floor is steel covered with some type of cement and possibly asbestos mixture. You can see daylight through there, and it doesn't flatter our operation at all. We're looking at options to fill the gaps.

We aren't ready at this time to tear out portions of the cement floor and weld in more steel. I've looked at various types of angle iron, aluminum, roof flashing, things of that nature. Any type of angled metal would currently have to go over the cement floor, which would make future repairs more difficult.

Bondo does keep coming up as an option.

Lowes seems to have oakum, at least on their website, and maybe in the store. We may give it a shot, to see if it'll accomplish what we want.

Thanks again,

James