Cleaning old engine shells, hints??

Our club has a number of engines that have been on the layout for years. The accumulated dust and dirt is a distraction if you are looking close (or taking a picture). Are there suggestions for how to clean when you have little idea of paint types, decal solvents, etc that were used when they were originally detailed. They are not stock as they were painted into the club's road name and colors.

The worst parts are the horizontal surfaces, like walkways and hoods. So I'm thinking they won't be as bad to wash, but with what just to be safe?? They have a nice 'weathering' job under the dust but you can see that where 'weather' would sit just doesn't match with the simple dust that settles during the years they have spent on the pike. That also brings the question of suggestions for cleaning building and such on the pike itself. So if people have ideas they have found good for removing the settled dust that doesn't just brush, blow or vacuum off, please post your ideas.

-ken c

Reply to
Ken Cameron
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If it's only accumulated dust and grime, I'd suggest Windex. Swallow your manly pride and go to the makeup Aisle at Walgreens and get a pack of "eye shadow" applicators, tiny sponges on a handle, to get in the nooks and crannies.

Don

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Reply to
Trainman

Or use a diluted solution of Joy, Dawn etc...if it's kind to your hands, I have found it kind to models....tiny sponges good but I prefer a soft tooth brush.

Ray H. Durham, NC

Reply to
TCol

I've cleaned a lot of stuff in dish detergent - any kind of small brush will be helpful - toothbrush, those stiff bristle shaver brushes you get with an electric shaver, etc. I've never had it take off any paint, but if the unit is custom painted and weathered you may want to watch out for putting scratches in the weathering, or hope the weathering has been oversprayed with something that's not water soluable. I've actually seen stuff weathered with chalk that never got any overspray at all - after a nice detergent bath it comes out squeaky clean and brand new looking.

Any more I try to keep dust from accumulating too far - frequent use of the aerosol dust-off helps a lot. I was buying it by the case wholesale from a place in FL for a while, when I was in the computer biz... so I always had it around. The problem is if the crud is oily, or very old, you can't just blow it off.

Andy

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Reply to
Andy Harman

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' And while you're slinking around in that aisle hoping nobody you know see's you, grab one of those big, soft makeup brush thingies. I think the ladies use it to brush on highlights on their cheeks, or some such. These things are GREAT for general dusting of and around, items having small, delicate details.

I used to work at a local TV station and the engineer would use these to dust around all the knobs, slider controls, etc. on the various pieces of equipment. They are so soft that you would almost have to TRY and break something off one of your models while dusting. I would go as far to say that if a small part were to come off while using one of these brushes, it proabaly wasn't secured too well to begin with and it would have eventually come off at some point anyway. Give it a try. (but if you run into me in the makeup aisle just act like you don't know me!)

Paul K. - "The CB&Q Guy"

Reply to
Paul K - The CB&Q Guy

=>Our club has a number of engines that have been on the layout for years. The =>accumulated dust and dirt is a distraction if you are looking close (or =>taking a picture). Are there suggestions for how to clean when you have =>little idea of paint types, decal solvents, etc that were used when they =>were originally detailed. They are not stock as they were painted into the =>club's road name and colors.

Dishwashing detergent and a _soft_ tooshbrush or one of thos flat artists' brushes.

Reply to
Wolf Kirchmeir

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