My trains have been getting a bit dirty with dust that does not just blow off. Been using qtips with a little water. Any other suggestions? Thanks
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Nice, soft new paintbrush.
tried that but the dust and dirt is really in the nooks and crannies and hard to get out
20centuryhudson posted:tried that but the dust and dirt is really in the nooks and crannies and hard to get out
That's called weathering. 
I use a small feather duster.
20centuryhudson posted:tried that but the dust and dirt is really in the nooks and crannies and hard to get out
I've used the Q-tip method, sometimes with a little bit of McGuire's auto polish.Then repeat with a clean Q-tip, with a little Lemon Pledge if it still needs cleaning or a shine. To get really stubborn dirt, you'll have to disassemble to carefully clean. Depending on the manufacturer and era of the trains, the liquids or cleaners would be different. If not needed, it's best to use no cleaners, and very little water, just enough to dampen the cloth or Q-tip.
Also, consider getting some brushes from a craft store, (Michaels, etc). If you get a good artists acrylic brush you can get one that has a little bit of stiffness without scratching surfaces. The key to keeping them firm is to never get them wet. If they get dirty enough, rinse and then lay on a paper towel to dry. It's the act of using and bending the bristles while wet that softens and weakens them.
Inexpensive ladies makeup brushes.
My down stairs house maid takes care of those sort of things.
Chip brushes
several sizes and cheap from the hardware store.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just put these things in the driveway and hose them off? OK, you could, but there will be blood.
Actually, as said above, it's weathering.
I'm with BIGDODGETRAINS, except I use an even cheaper makeup brush It retracts into a lipstick-shaped plastic base. It has very soft bristles long enough to work, and it's small enough to get into spaces such as the running boards on Geeps.
I use Swifters for the expansive surfaces like tops of passenger cars/building roofs/decking, etc and anyone of the above mentioned brushes for crevasses. The Swifters capture the dust. I also use a gentle blower to dislocate dust from more delicate objects.
Cans of compressed air work well. Can get them at Walmart, Target, etc.
-Greg
Jim Harrington posted:Chip brushes
several sizes and cheap from the hardware store.
I use the same brushes with nice results. They also sell them at Dollar Tree.
I use an old Rainbow vac that I bought 30 years ago. That's the one that looks like R2D2 and has a water bowl that the air gets pulled through. I use the soft brush attachment that can dislodge stubborn dust and the vacuum draws it in. The water bath holds all the impurities so nothing circulates back into the room. Very effective...
Since dust is an abrasive, you have to be careful about rubbing it, because it will scratch delicate paint finishes, especially over a bit of time. If you dust regularly, Swiffers and brushes may work fine. Dust that has accumulated over some time cannot be completely removed except with water and some brushing, at least that's what I've found. After just brushing, there's still a fine layer of the dust left. When you rub your finger over it, you can see the layer that's still there.
I have used water and a bit of gently dishwaster detergent (for cleaning and also to help lubricate the surface to prevent scratches), while holding the engines and cars upside down so water doesn't enter them, and a soft brush or thick towel, with good results, in cases where there's accumulated dust.
D500 posted:Wouldn't it be nice if we could just put these things in the driveway and hose them off? OK, you could, but there will be blood.
Actually, as said above, it's weathering.
I use the bathroom sink and a blow drier. No joke. Three minutes of wetness doesn't kill anything if TOTALLY dried followed by a fresh oiling, wiping all metal with oil like you might a gun. Letting metal sit wet is another story.
Dampen the brush. I will dampen a brush in a dish, agitate, dip the brush to clean it, wipe brush on rag, repeat till clean.
If I use Pledge for a shine, the brush gets used to wipe seams and nooks, then washed clean of the wax.
I like the "natural weathering" on some things too though.
I dry dust first for the abrasive reasons. While water is a lube that can curb cutting power, it also holds grit to the surface, so less dirt to start before wetting and agitation is a good idea. So is cleaning the brush early and often.
If i have to worry about dust on my trains ,then for me it is no longer a fun hobby ,so i don't sweat the small stuff ,i just give them a quick wipe with a rag & i don't worry about anything else ,don't sweat the small stuff because thats all it really is ,LIFE IS TO SHORT !!!!!!!!!
Dunno if they're even made any more, but back in the Stone Age when we wore loose face powder as a finishing layer of makeup, there was a fluffy brush with a bulb attached to the handle. You could squeeze the bulb and get an easily controlled puff of air to distribute the powder (all over your clothes if you weren't careful) then use the brush to even it out.
Dollar stores are your friends for stuff like this. Sets of makeup brushes are a buck. That which will deposit fine powder will pick it back up. There are dozens of shapes and sizes because of eye makeup. Kids' watercolor brushes are also cheap, soft and effective.
Q-tips for not-fragile surfaces, baking soda for real crud on soft paint (very, very gently brushed on, left long enough to absorb any greasy crud, gently brushed off) and, in the case of more durable shells, a sink and Dawn dish soap have all worked around here.
Gene H posted:Jim Harrington posted:Chip brushes
several sizes and cheap from the hardware store.
I use the same brushes with nice results. They also sell them at Dollar Tree.
The Hobby Shop I go to Trading Post in Cleveland gives these brushes out for 50 cents They work great.The tip is very thin to get in-between detail parts.Nick
Greg Houser posted:Cans of compressed air work well. Can get them at Walmart, Target, etc.
-Greg
I was going to ask if compressed air would work. Thank you.
Vinny26 posted:Inexpensive ladies makeup brushes.
I use the ones which are sable. My wife gave them to me. They work perfectly with dust, though I never let the trains, especially the passenger cars, go too long without dusting, which also goes for the vehicles on the layout.
I like a 2 "or even 3 " chip brush --- Be careful with compressed air , it will remove paint on your engine or car if you get too close. By accident , I "aged " a 19th century passenger car about 10 years ago with compressed air .
Shop vac reducer: a couple of years ago I purchased a shop vac reduction kit (Micromark?) that goes from 1 1/4" to 3/8" internal diameter. One of the attachments I use is a flexible nylon hose with a circular brush attached; gets into a lot of tight areas.
Another method is to get a reducer (like a 4-to-1 or 6-to-one for a 1 1/4" vac) and create your own setup with a soft "plastic" tubing and create your own cleaning end (brush, tube or other).
Wally
Chris has already done the homework!
We have a house full of displayed collectables including my trains that require a good routine dusting. I gave up using brushes and compressed air a long time ago. All that does is redistribute the dust - it's still there. The best solution I've found is Endust and a good quality feather duster. You simply spray the duster with Endust and go on with your dusting. The dust sticks to the duster which you can take out on the porch and shake it out.
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I use a California dash duster and JT's B-Gone for stubborn dust.
Bench air* and soft paintbrushes.
Mitch
*Harbor Freight air compressor under the workbench and air nozzle.
Lots of great ideas here!
Peter
Moonson posted:Vinny26 posted:Inexpensive ladies makeup brushes.
I use the ones which are sable. My wife gave them to me. They work perfectly with dust, though I never let the trains, especially the passenger cars, go too long without dusting, which also goes for the vehicles on the layout.
I third this vote - I have several sizes and find them very effective. I don't let it build up enough to form crud when some humidity starts to make it crud.
Hmmmmmmm.... Might want to invest in a good HEPA filter air cleaner for your train room. Fight dust before it starts.
Here is how I do it.
Air is blown down on the train from a small vacuum through a pipe in the center of a box. The small vacuum is only used for this purpose, so it is blowing absolutely clean air.
Vacuum on both ends of the box sucks the dust out. This way the dust does not leave the box. I simply run whole trains through the box. The vacuums are emptied before use. If any loose parts are sucked in then they can be retrieved.
Below is a link to a youtube video showing it in action. Note the dirt and dust on the cars before going into the box and after coming back out of the box the dirt and dust is gone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm7Rz_wezcI
As posted by Rule 292, here is the original thread for this with more detail on the hows and whys.
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Water just turns the layer of dust into a paste that becomes very difficult and time consuming to remove from corners and crevices. We just use a dry, new, soft 2" wide paint brush and everything looks like the day it was taken out of the box.
This is what I use on everything. HO, O, die cast cars, and military models. Don't use smoke units so all I deal with is dust and spider webs. Occasional spider poo is the only thing that needs washing.
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I bought an adapter kit which connects to my one gallon shop vac. Has very fine brush for detail cleaning. Have used on several layouts too. Purchased from Amazon.
Set up a large 2'x2' box fan with a hi-grade furnace filter taped to the back on the floor in the center of the layout when we started. Keeps the room pretty much dust-free. Cover everything with sheets of plastic when shutting the layout down for more than a couple of days. Also use a fine brush to dust. Little dust problem encountered; change the filter every 60 days.
Dust = Free prototypical weathering
My wife got a free make-up gift from Macy's. I got the brush...
Check out the Woodland Scenics Dust Dabber. It really works.
Jim
