Nicotine-enhanced Styrene

i've used a rubdown of 99% isopropyl alky and it's worked well. also left the plastic clean and iol free for painting. that has got to be in the top 10 most godawfull smells.

Mark Schynert wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news1.west.earthlink.net:

Most of the time when I run across these stinkers the smell is trapped in the paper products - box, instructions. Styrene isn't porous so residue would have to be grunged on the surface. I used to smoke and I can't imagine that an unbuilt kit (the plastic part inside), being so exposed to ciggy smoke as to leave deposits. The guy would have to be huffing on or around the open box for a good long while.

Usually the box odor fades somewhat with time, leaving the box out in the fresh air helps. I think you might even be able to sprtiz the box with something like Fabreeze to really fix it up.

Of course washing a kit is a good idea no matter what.

Frank

Do the smells really linger around after the plastic is treated with cement/CA/enamels/etc. as per normal construction process?

Seb

I have a similar with some of the military uniforms I've acquired over time. Some came from collectors that smoked but many still had smoke odor in them from 50-75, even 100 years ago. You'd be surprised how long those odors can linget in cotton and wool that has been packed away (and paper, as well, I'm sure).

Even dry cleaning doesn't remove the smell all that effectively. The way I make them as tolerable as possible is to hang them outside when there's a bit of sun and a pretty good breeze blowing. that seems to freshen them and reduce the odor to a tolerable level. You couold try putting the box outside on a moderately breezy day and see what happens.

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Febreze is really great at getting stinks out of fabric- keep it away from decals, though. Re brown gunk from smokers- a long time ago my sister moved into a house very quickly (last weekend of the month and had to be out of her old one on the 1st)- there were shuttered windows on either side of the fireplace. I opened them and there was brown nicotine goo on them thick enough to scrape off with a fingernail. Had to use straight ammonia on them to get them clean. Must be a lot like a London underground car. Sorry, all my Brit pals, but living in a state with a NO SMOKING sign posted at the Colorado River get you used to smokeless air. That way you can appreciate the subtle bouquet and complex overtones of the smog-

Soak in hot water and dish soap for starters. After washing and allowing to dry give it the sniff test. I'm pretty sure it'll pass. If not, try any spray cleaner or indeed your bucket of Mr. Clean solution. That should take care of it. Your box however, is another problem. You'll probably have to leave that out in the open air for several months. I like the Febreeze idea but since it's a liquid it might ruin the paper. Wanna test and let us know? If it's a valuable box, get some cedar chips from the pet store and bury the box inside a sealed plastic container for a month. Nothing beats cedar! hth

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

I think the problem is

1. he can't stand the smell of the thing to work on it
2. the nicotine would keep the paints from adhering I've seen stuff that's been in a house where the occupants smoked constantly. It's a sickly brownish colour.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

To be chemically correct it's probably tar rather than nicotine. I think other people's advice about alcohol or even plain old soap should do the job (those are standard for removing water non-soluble organic compounds).

Seb

No box, as it happens, just a Zip Loc that has since been tossed. The decals don't seem to be a problem, fortunately--I think they were sealed up separately. Well, it's off to rub on the isopropyl, and then a Mr. Clean solution awaits!

Thanks to all.

Mark Schynert