Mitch, I'd go with stripping it with a soak in Castrol Purple degreaser. (Wear rubber gloves. This stuff prunes skin in a weird way if you work without them.)
The sooner the better.
I should have been dusting the Christmas layout and searching out burnt bulbs but I played with my band saw instead.
I had wanted to do some mock ups with these Jenga blocks for my game train, as a load, or cribbing; so I ripped some in half and clamped another hand full together making trim passes to each end on the clamped blocks, to get car width and retain offset justification of the logo. The loads second tier is wider than the deck than x2 blocks for a top heavy, kinds imperfectly stacked appearance(levels askew helps too) Still bulky; bland; static. I e., kinda lifeless. A little color wouldn't have hurt this game
I"m not really loving either yet. Especially the stacked load. Without something a bit more special to throw at the idea, these won't last as cars; maybe a yard pile on the microlayout or something.
Maybe if I made them so they shifted around? Setting up the top and bottom layers like bobbleheads thru wide holes in layer two leaving layer 2 loose to rattle and slide(tip some too if I bevel the bottom).. but they would shift but stay pinned by bobble spring(s) and limit bobble too(kinda needed)....🤔
Too bad I don't have a geared operating truck, cam drive truck, or a scrap low rpm motor to shift the load around with. Hmm. I have some chain to pin it with too.
The blocks are hard and pretty light. Like a scrabble tile.
I'd like a better tank or other cribbed load too.
Maybe Silly String?(I like the colors) Kerplunk? (I think I can pull that off actually) Vats of silly putty? (slime dries{geen silly putty?} and I think play-dough was offically done; no?) LOG! (by Blamo )
2" pvc T "culvert" aka..a "Chute"(?) (with a "ladder" )...and the T cribbing can be much taller. It actually has the best Jenga-ish look overall too.🤔
I'm thinkin' 'bout shortenin' these cars. Shorties roll better on 0-19" where they will kinda belong
Still shorter than my E-33, but it's close.