A video putting many of the popular cleaning fluids to the test - which one comes out on top? Thanks for watching! Email: samstrains@outlook.com Facebook: samstrains Twitter: samstrains
Interesting video, thanks for the Science Sam! ;) A note about Acetone, as you showed it devours plastics. I think it would be a mistake to use it at all, even on a metal piece because theres always the chance that it doesn't evaporate fully before going back in contact with a plastic part (wheels back in the chassis for example). If used carefully though acetone is amazingly effective for mending plastic. For example if you have a cracked body shell, if you add a very small amount of acetone to the back side of the body shell it will bond it together stronger than glue because it is effectively melting the plastic to form one continuous piece. Not recommended for heavily painted locos however it is good for non painted areas!
My pleasure mate - yeah I agree, I stopped with the Nail Polish Remover years ago - it doesn't even work that well!! I didn't know that about mending plastic though - I could try that on some of my models! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Well Done Sam. I always enjoy your videos which are well thought out and edited. Nail polish is mostly Acetone with some lanolin added to take care of your nails. Acetone is also the basis of most plastic glues along with methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). I use MRK to glue kits together as it is superior to Acetone as a glue. These solvents will attack different plastics to a lessor or greater degree. WARNING!!!!!! All these chemicals are dangerous to your health especially your lungs. Even though you only use very small amounts keep the container/bottle closed and use in well ventilated areas. If you need to remove paint from a model especially plastic, I recommend Dettol. Believe it or not it works without damaging plastic. As it an antiseptic and common in many households you may think it is safe, but it is poisonous if ingested so use gloves. Just because it is a common product purchased at the supermarket does not mean it is totally safe. Hope this is of help to all of you especially the newer modelers. Cheers.
Good info, I use IPA too. One tip; I use an artificial chamois for track cleaning: cut it into squares, rub on the rails either soaked with IPA or dry. Cleans very well, and is not abrasive. Amazing how dirty they can get when used on visually clean rails! Some swipes, and even a DCC 0-4-0 runs reliably. I even stuck some on the pads of my Hornby track maintenance car.
A very nice video, Sam. It's nice to see some uniform methodology applied to a variety of products across a range of criteria. As others have mentioned, great production values as well. Thanks for producing and sharing this informative video. P.S: IPA is my go-to track and wheel cleaning fluid, too.
As a petrolhead it´s lighter fluid for me, Sam. You either love the smell or you don´t. Been using it for ages and never had any issues whatsoever. Isoprop kind of makes me recall my dentist´s, which I prefer not to ;) Cheers
Lighter fluid is mostly Naphtha (petroleum derivative) with additives (?) . to make it perform better in lighters. . . CRC Contact Cleaner is very good.
Hi Sam, Interesting channel and some cool stuff for an Aussie modelling US railroads! As a modeller of 4o years and a railway signal electrician , I have to say all of those products apart from Track Magic , should not be put anywhere near track! Your track and wheels are nothing more than a switch in a electrical circuit, and as such , any product used must be suitable for that. IPA leaves a residue and also contains water..bad for conductivity ! Above all , your track must be conductive, not clean...a big difference (but both are better of course) . Lighter fluid is scary and nailpolish remover is damaging to plastic ? Best thing I have found is CRC 2-26 , a tiny amount on a rag and the wheels will take it round the track. I use Inoxx , which is similar to CRC and these products ARE made for electrical circuits , which is what our tracks are. IPA will clean , but long term use will cause more problems as it does not help conductivity. Cheers Gregg..
Thanks very much for the info! I'll have a try with some CRC 2-26, but I've never had a problem with IPA - and I know most people use it. In concentrations of 99.9% and above, the water quantity is tiny! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Thanks Sam . it is hard to get 99% down here, but as you can appreciate , coming from an electrical background, ..any water is a no no . The main thing is keeping the rails from oxidizing, especially in high humidity and damp conditions . As for cleaning . I never have to clean wheels on locos or rolling stock , except after weathering then I will use IPA. Having over 400m of track to maintain , and 40 locos to keep running, I have tried many ideas, but IPA was a problem after long term use. Cheers Gregg.
Can I just say... Your channel is amazing, everytime I'm in a bad/unhappy mood I watch your channel and you always put a smile on my face...so please Please PLEASE...keep doing your amazing videos. Keep it up!!!
Incredibly interesting I’ve used acetone/nail cleaning fluid for years and have been very interested in new products over the last 20 years I remember when track magic came out Model rail magazine did a product test in their magazine It pronounced it as the best thing since sliced bread But I wasn’t going to pay the money they expected for it! As it turns out I’m not sure how unbiased their tests were On the other hand your test convinced me to change to IPA in future I liked all the standards you chose to measure Well done 👍
I recently got all my old Hornby bits and pieces out the attic and went through each piece to clean it, having little to no knowledge of model rail proper cleaning practises here was my approach. -For cleaning track I took cotton balls and dipped them in a water/baking soda mixture and cleaned the track piece by piece, this was to erase oxidisation and generally clean the track, I then finished it off by wiping each piece with microfiber cloth, this was to give the track a smooth wipe down and remove any moisture left after air drying. -As for locomotives and rolling stock I dissembled them following online tutorials and initially used a can of compressed air to blow out large chunks of dust and dirt along with a small sized paint brush (dry, never used), following this I took Q-tips and dipped them in a small bottle of 'Surgical Spirit' - which for intensive purposes has the same/or similar qualities as Isopropyl alcohol and scrubbed the plastics and gearbox externals. I used a drop of Wd40 into the gearbox and inner wheel axles as lubricating oil (perhaps not the best choice, but what I had lying around), and lastly I dunked Q-tips into the surgical spirit and used that to clean the outer wheels for good contact. -Lastly the loco/rolling stock's body, I simply took a Poundland spray bottle and filled it with a small amount of vinegar and the rest water, sprayed each piece of bodywork and scrubbed gently with a purpose bought 'soft' toothbrush. Ran under the cold tap to rinse, then left to air dry. A couple hours work with utensils and products laying around the house, and a clean working order set of Hornby. What a wonderful hobby. :)
Hi Jay, that all sounds very good to me - can't see anything wrong with what you did there - did it all work nicely after that? Great work, and enjoy mate!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Yep, everything seems to all be working rather nicely and it's been a couple of weeks at this point, so assuming none of the products used hurt anything. Been rather pleasing having small trains chuff around my office floor whilst I work! Great channel by the way, been watching some of your video's - you clearly love what you do. Jay :)
I used to use these solvents in large quantities. i.e. 200 litre drums (apart from lighter fluid). OK if you use in very small quantities, but if you use them regularly then take care. According to the Safety Data Sheets for: IPA 99%: Can cause irritation if absorbed through skin. Nail polish remover (Acetone): Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking. I never liked working with acetone. It's stinks and, as you say, melts plastics (including synthetic cloths you might use). Lighter fluid (Naphtha): Brief contact may cause slight irritation. Skin irritation leading to dermatitis may occur upon prolonged or repeated contact. Can be absorbed through skin. Haven't tried IPA. Royal Mail have banned it being sent by them, so if your eBay seller breaks the rules by sending it by RM can they be trusted to be sending you genuine IPA? I use lighter fluid because it's fairly cheap and is readily available. A word of caution. It will remove some types of factory paint finishes in an instant. I have an old Arnold coach with no paint on the roof to show for that little experiment. After 20 years of using these solvents I am occasionally subject to dermatitis on my hands, even though I left the job 20 years ago. The worst one, not mentioned here, is Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) found in paint stripper. Breathe that in when it's warm and it will knock you out. Lighter fluid has an added bonus that you can clean your grubby second hand book covers with it. :-)
Very interesting - thanks very much for this! I believe my IPA arrived via a different courier, but the proof is in the pudding - you can see how well it works, and that's all I'm interested in! Ahh Methylene Chloride sounds like one to avoid for sure! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hello Sam. Fascinating video, thank you. I have acquired some wagons and the wheels are filthy. And i wondered which was the best cleaning option there was that you used and I've bought some of Amazon. Thank you very much you are a life saver.👍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hi Sam. Love tests with a scientific method. I keep a little ethanol around the house for cleaning of many different objects, so I guess it would be pretty similar to the IPA.
Very interesting as always. And it is a great difference to clean metal parts, painted metal or plastic parts. You are always on the right way if you use for painted metal or plastic parts slightly warm water with a few drops dishwashing liquid (soap). Spirit (alcohol) and petrol (gasoline) are removing the shine of plastic often. That you don't have if you use instead petroleum (paraffin or kerosene).
Really glad I watched this. I have been using Inox for cleaning track though as according to the slight crazy ausi from fishplates who was an electrician says it's all about conductivity. Wondered whether using this to clean wheels on locos might be a good idea as this is where all the conductivity is required. Keep us the good work Sam. cheers, Rick the Bulldog
I tried Inox MX3 on just a small part of my track, and found that it GREATLY reduced traction. Because of the oil in Inox, it will get on the loco and rolling stock wheels and spread around the track.
Inox completely ruined the traction tyres on my 4-4-0. It used to haul a good rake of carriages up my 3% incline and can now barely get itself up. Didn't have enough room to put a lower incline in !!! Does anyone know of a really heavy loco that could pull at least 3 carriages up my incline but that will also work on 1st radius curves. My Hogwarts Express 4-6-0 seems to manage the incline and curves but it is loaded with magnet underneath and has Power Base metal plates under the track.
@@SamsTrains Its been done throught my family for years. If the wheels are given a current and set to spin round fast and then sanded lightly it removes all dirt amazingly and the wheels are all fine. But The max I've used is a grade 60. Usually a lot less
Excellent comparison and i do agree with your results. I also use a very old Peco track rubber and wipe all track including sleepers down with a moist baby wipe.
So if I was to get a tub of hot soapy water and put my loco body’s in would they not be damaged? Also by hot do you mean Kettle hot or Luke warm tap water?
I've been using lighter fluid for many years, and never had any problems with it. I briefly tried using IPA but stopped using it after I accidentally destroyed some loco lettering while cleaning loco wheels. Remember that IPA is actually used as a paint remover, so using it around painted models/surfaces is always going to be risky.
The track magic also contains a very small warning about only using it on the rail head. It causes peco set track to go brittle. I can confirm it definitely does cause the sleepers to become very brittle and the chairs break just by touching them.
Based on watching your excellent videos Sam, I've been using Lighter fuel, and found it did an excellent job, however Isopropyl seems a more cost effective material, so may try that for evaluation......Another very useful subject to make a video of....Bob
Thanks a lot Bob - yeah sure, give it a try and let me know how you go on - I think it's easily as good, if not better than the lighter fuel! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Some good information here Sam. I personally use WD-40 - not for cleaning track, I just use one of those soft kitchen sponges, and that seems to get a good amount of dirt to come off from the rails. I spray some WD-40 onto the cotton bud, then rub it on the wheels. It's unbelievable the amount of dirt that comes off the wheels - even if they look sparkly clean! Only problem with WD-40 is that you have to be careful about getting it on the plastic bodies of locomotives and rolling stock - a widely debated topic, I know! I have a large can of WD-40 left to use yet, but may try some of these fluids in future! George
Thanks mate! Ahh that sounds very interesting - I've used that in the past too, but you need to get all the WD40 off before use - otherwise it lubricates the wheels! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Might I suggest Inox or CRC 2-26 for track, they clean the track very well and leaves a protective conducive layer on the track. Maybe give the track a going over with IPA or if you plan on running a loco with traction tyres as the two fluids mentioned earlier don’t work well with traction tyres.
What would you recommend for cleaning plastic wheels and for traction tyres . I recently bought track magic which appears to leave an almost permanent layer on track , no matter how many times I run a paper towel or my finger over the track I get black deposits. An HST I have with traction tyres struggles for grip now. What’s best for cleaning the traction tyres ?
Hi Sam... Lighter fluid in Australia can be bought in bulk as Shellite from Bunnings at 5 poundsa litre, but you could use Coleman Fuel, its basically the same at 9 Pounds a litre. IPA is very expensive over here.
It's also worth saying here that IPA can be an effective paint and/or lettering remover depending on the finish of the model. Lighter fluid is becoming increasingly rare here in the US.
Hi Sam. What I hear from other railroad modelers is that one shouldn't just evaluate the immediate effectiveness, but also the long term effectiveness. Some fluids are said to attract dirt (IPA) vs. others that don't. Just found your channel, so you might have covered it elsewhere... I am still looking for the best method to clean wheels and tracks that will work best in the long term with least amount of work for me :-)
Yes that's true Bo - but IPA doesn't attract dirt - there's a (certain) video out there that gives misinformation about IPA. Provided the purity is 99.9% (which most is), it works perfectly well - it's easily the best fluid of choice for wheel cleaning! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
IPA is useful as a degreaser when cleaning oily or greasy mechanisms. However, it leaves its own residue on the 'cleaned' surface and it is VERY hygroscopic, so it will attract water wherever it goes -- which is not good for most electrical mechanisms. In the USA it is not allowed professionally for cleaning electrical contacts for these reasons, quite apart from the health and safety issues. And of course the rail and wheel surfaces are electrical contacts. For track-cleaning the best material by far is a fluid designed specifically for cleaning electrical contacts, such as CRC switch cleaner or Inox. If you use these on the track, you don't even have to clean your wheels -- they will self-clean on the track, which can be attended to at the next wipe-down. NEVER use a track rubber, since it will seriously abrade your track and create microscopic pits, damaging the profile and collecting even more dirt.
Cardboard. Or the rough side of hardboard. I read some time (years) ago, of the Torquay Model Railway Club using hardboard underslung under coaches. This was achieved using a small piece, about 10mm x 50mm and two small, long, machine screws (possibly 8BA) drilled through the coach underframe and through the hardboard. These are secured by nuts screwed onto the end of the screws. As the coach traverses the track, the drag on the hardboard causes it to take up dirt from the track. The screws are a loose fit and allowed to rise and fall with track differences. The other recommendation is, of course, to change all plastic wheels to metal ones. Cheers. Bob
Hi Sam, Have watched your video several times. I have used IPA 99% mostly to clean track and wheels, but recently saw a video about WD-40 contact cleaner being better. I tried a contact cleaner (not WD-40 one) and it did an amazing job. BUT, the down side is it left a oily residue that made the wheels slip. I tried IPA to get it off, but no luck. In the end I had to use my Peco track rubber. I also tried the Dapol track cleaning fluid for their track cleaner coach, this has a similar effect and left an oily residue? I am going to try the WD-40 contact cleaner as is says its quick drying, but this goes to show, not al contact cleaners are the same. Do you use IPA 99% all the time to clean your track and wheels? Keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks for sharing Neil - I wouldn’t bother with the WD40 - the supposed issue with IPA was due to it being non-polar, but as it evaporates immediately, it doesn’t much matter! Try a peco track rubber - those work great!
One big flaw in your analysis … IPA gets things very clean, but as a polar solvent it makes the metal surface develop oxides very quickly in the presence of electricity - so things get dirty again very fast. That’s why electrical contact cleaning professional guides ban IPA as an electrical contact cleaner. You want non-polar solvents as your preferred electrical contact cleaner. Two good non-polar solvents are mineral spirits and yes, Track Magic.
I always come back to this video for some reason or other! It's one of the most useful ones out there! Cheers for that, Sam! 🙌 What do you recommend to clean the actual body of the loco? I've recently received a Hornby loco that, obviously due to the sweltering summer heat, had the glue melt on a couple of the little foam pads they put all over inside the block of ice packaging. So on a couple of places on the body there's a bit of tacky glue residue that looks rather bad. I'm wondering if I should use isopropyl alcohol to clean it off or if you would recommend something else if one is to clean the actual body. Thanks in advance!
That's great to hear mate, glad you find this one handy! You can't beat slightly soapy warm water for bodywork - anything stronger might strip the paint off! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains Cheers, Sam! Always so available and ready to answer comments! Honestly, I don’t know how you manage with so many subscribers! But luckily for us you do manage! 😊
Hi Sam.... After a lot of years in the hobby the best cleaner is water with a dash of detergent and meths applied with a wagon equipted with an applicator system followed by a wiper pad arrangement made of kid leather as a wiper off. If your track ever shows a grey residue your track is filthy. Totally clean track provides better electrical and climbing ability on grades and wheels do not 'gum' up because there is no contaminants on 'clean' track. Logical really! If you have been using oils and other such things for track cleaning a sparing application of kerosine will get your track prepared/degreased quicker for my method to be effective. Here endith the lesson! Don W. NZ.
Thanks for the comment Don - I don't recommend water at all, it encourages corrosion and is slow to evaporate, particularly on locomotives! Glad to hear it works well for you though! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Two things. First, I found your video very educational. For my usage, the IPA would seem to work the best. I then followed it with CRC (tuner cleaner). Works wonders. I've used the tuner cleaner in the past, but never thought about using the IPA. Well done. Second, I was looking for information on the Atlas/Dapol track cleaning car. During my search, I came across a video on the Turbosuager. I believe it is Swiss made. From what I could see, it does one heck of a job. Do you have or know anything about this product? I could see this being a part of my "MOW" train.
Many thanks Rich, glad this was some help to you! No I never have heard of that one, but thanks for that, I'll look it up! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks for the comment mate! Ooh that sounds a bit abrasive - you need to be careful not to scratch up the track surface!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks for another very interesting video Sam, was going to buy some Track Magic, but don't think I'll bother now! Regarding the nail polish remover, chances are it's the acetone that eats the plastic, have you tried the ones that are acetone free?
No problem Steve - nahh I wouldn't recommend it! Yes it is the acetone I think - but it's also that which dissolves dirt so well - not sure how well acetone-free stuff would perform! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
MRH Magazine states: "I don't recommend ISO alcohol for cleaning track (or wheels) any longer. The La Mesa club has found track and wheels get dirty with black gunk a lot quicker when cleaned with alcohol so they have banned its use for cleaning wheels or track. Chemists know that non-polar solvents make the best electrical cleaners because they don't encourage new oxidation later as much as polar solvents. Non-polar solvents: - mineral spirits - turpentine - kerosene - toluene (nasty stuff, though) Semi-polar solvent: - ethyl acetate Polar solvents: - isopropyl alcohol - ethyl alcohol - denatured alcohol - acetone - ammonia Better choices for cleaning electrical surfaces are the non-polar solvents or at least a semi-polar like ethyl acetate. If your reaction to this news is: "I've never had a problem with the polar solvents", I challenge you to try cleaning wheels and track with a non-polar solvent instead. You may find things stay cleaner longer! The non-polar solvents reduce micro-racing and oxidation of active electrical surfaces. You who have been in the hobby for a while may remember the "clipper oil keeps your track clean longer" discussion from decades ago. Clipper oil is NON-POLAR. Also, if you check contact cleaners like DeToxIt or CRC-26, you will find they're slightly oily, which means they're also non-polar in nature." Bottom line is odorless mineral spirits followed up by a light application of graphite is now considered the best and lowest maintenance for track cleaning.
Lighter fluid is my choice but I open the window when I clean the wheels because that stuff does STINK. I might try IPA though but the track magic is just WAY too expensive for something that a modeller would get through regularly. That said, the lighter fluid is effective but its best to A remove the bodyshell or B remove the wheels from the locomotive, carriage or wagon :).
haha yeah it does stink - that's why I prefer IPA, it still smells, but it's much less obnoxious! Agreed - Track Magic is prohibitively expensive! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam, interesting vid as always. Been doing some research on this as I am starting a new layout with new track. Have seen good reports about electrical contact cleaners, which are supposed to be much better than IPA. Some however, leave a conductive residue (good) but it can make the track slippery (not so good if you have an incline), and may affect traction tyres. WD40 fast drying contact cleaner apparently does not leave a residue, and may be better, maybe not. Might be worth looking into.
Thanks Clive! Yes I've seen that too actually - not so good for cleaning other components such as commutators though, where the residue could be disastrous! I think IPA may still be the most useful for universal use, but I'll have to try the contact cleaner at some point! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I was desperate of finding any track or wheel cleaner I can get my hands on, and of course I got the track magic. All I have to say in this subject is that at least it gets the job done nicely :) Great video idea Sam :D
It certainly does get the job done nicely - but I'd say try IPA - for a fraction of the price, I think you'll be impressed! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
When I was a youngster in the 1970s, I always used Methylated Spirits for track and wheel cleaning. There's always Turps and White Spirit that you could try. I'm surprised that the IPA wasn't more destructive considering it's an ingredient in Phoenix Precision paint stripper
Ahh that sounds interesting - I'll have to give that a try! I was surprised too - but I can't recall ever ruining plastic with it actually! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Great video Sam this was very helpful as my models are starting to get to the point where they need to be cleaned so seeing this was a big help ! By the way is there anywhere I can buy that “Sams Trains” T-shirt ?
I've always used ipa because it's what is usually around. I've always wondered if there might be a better option. After watching this video, I think it best to just keep doing what I've been doing.
I tend to use IPA or Mentholated spirits for cleaning the metal work, and Glasses wipes or similar for plastic work. I also have contact cleaner which I often use when working with the electro-mechanical components like motors, but IPA can also work there, switch cleaner just does a better job of removing oil and grease. Brake cleaner would also work for removing grease I guess.
I never commented on your posts before but I found this most useful, I am wondering what was the most effect for cleaning points and preventing frog problems which is the bain of my modelling life
Really useful video! But I don't use cleaning fluid alot, I use a track cleaning block. It gets rid of dirt on the tracks and wheels! :D but sometimes I use a fluid for my expensive locomotives (like the polar express and Thomas and friends locos) I also have a block I can place on the tracks and it is just sweeping the dirt of the wheels when they get power from the block. If you're (or someone else!) is interested in what I exactly mean I can make a video about it :D
hi sam what do you think about Methylated spirits because i think it would be good to go into another video like this one, and i find it works really well
Hey! I know those are good for cleaning, but it's not something I've ever tried - so not sure how it'd affect plastics etc! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I got some tragic magic as a Christmas present and it didn't work for me maybe I did it wrong but the sponge fell apart while trying to use it... I found a small bit of elbow grease and a track rubber cleaned the track so much quicker and easier.
haha I like tragic magic as a name - it's more suitable! I used the sponge for the first time today on the challenge... and it fell to peices - absolute rubbish! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
So if I had a beyond repair model that I want to cosmetically redesign to look like a scrap engine, would you recommend dipping the shell into nail polish for a corrosion effect?
IPA depends on the strength. Many will be 60-70%, which means that there is 30% water. The IPA will evaporate leaving water to re-oxidise the metal. There should be less expensive electrical contact cleaners available from electrical suppliers, which should give you the same results as track magic at a lower cost.
Lighter fluid is generally naptha although the term is ambiguous and has been used to describe other petroleum products such as mineral spirits or paint thinner which are totally different. It is generally used in wick type lighters and if you get it on your skin, it usually causes a burning sensation. I suspect the track magic may contain it as well.. It is harmful to breathe and very flammable. And yes, acetone is used in the medical profession to wipe the skin to remove oils before applying electrodes. But it has it hazards as well and is not good to breathe. I tend to use some of the CRC products to clean and lubricate model railroad cars.
Sorry for commenting on an old video but just incase you still read them, do you have any opinions on methlyated spirits/white spirits in lieu of IPA? I am servicing my locos etc and due to the shortened supply of hand sanitiser etc, IPA has become quite expensive. I do have lighter fluid though so I might just use that for now
Hey! I'm not too sure about that - I think I did try it once, but it wasn't very effective. Absolutely lethal to paintwork too! I've had a look on Ebay, you can get a huge bottle of 99.9% IPA for less than £20, which is a little pricey, but worth it I'd say! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
the cleaning fluid I use is Life-Like track cleaner (product number 1415) It varies in effectiveness because most of the time i end up lightly scraping off the dirt. You should do a comparison of types of dry track cleaners/ track cleaning cars and pads
I've used hand sanitizer to clean the wheels on my locos and stock, unfortunately it had the negative effect of removing some of the red paint from the loco wheels so caution is adviced!
Isopropanol CAN cause Dermatitis... Basically, can dry your skin out. but otherwise is skin safe. For medical use, it's usually diluted by... 30% water. They do also often use some sort of skin moisturiser in medical purposes to counter the drying out effect, which sometimes gives it a more gel-like consistency.
good interesting video i will getting some ipa soon then and Sam remember me tell you about my flying Scotsman i got it running good with the ringfield mot or it was to do with power for the locomotive to the tender so i had to make wire because the contacted was rubbish i have ran it for 1/2 year.
Whenever I need to clean loco wheels, I soak a tiny bit of tissue in good old elbow grease, and jam it between the wheel and the plastic brake shoe, repeat laps of the track until all wheels are clean.
Nice vid. I've tried automatic transmission fluid, the kind rated safe for plastic, and found it fairly effective for cleaning. But it is also lubricating, an effect that takes some time to wear off. It also leaves behind a film that seems to retard dirt accumulation. I'd never use any kind of abrasive as that will just accelerate dirt accumulation.
Hey Sam I recently bought a used loco (Hornby B12 number 8544) and the wheels are bronze (I think it's dirt), what cleaning fluid would you recommend? thanks Ash
@@arthur850_ I have done but i saw a video today from a chap in Australia and he didn't recommend it as best, he uses something called "INOX" as it conducts electric as well as a cleaner,
I have used nail polish removal because it is readily available, does not smell and will also remove blue tack from carpets. Of course I do not have the quantity of stuff that you have. Never had a problem with it on plastic and I actually tested it on some. Maybe I will try that again.
yeah i was about to say that. Acetone is horrendous for plastic but the non-acetone nail varnish remover is actually very effective for cleaning metalwork
Thanks Ian - it will be the acetone that does the damage! If it's not damaging plastic, then it's probably acetone free!! If it works for you - then that's all that matters, at the end of the day! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
One cheap way of cleaning track that I found was to use a simple scouring pad on a washing up sponge. It takes a little elbow grease, but it's quick, cheap and they last forever I wouldn't suggest using it on locos though...
Ahh that sounds interesting - maybe a washing up sponge wouldn't be abrasive enough to damage the track - so worth a try! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I gave just seen another video on this topic which rants on about Isopropyl contains water and thus can affect electrical conductivity on the railhead or wheels. Yes they might be clean but will they conduct electricity correctly?
Yes it does - this IPA is 99.99% pure. At 30 degrees, regular air can contain up to 4% water, so the 0.01% in the IPA is negligible. Who was publishing this information? Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains It was from Fishplate Films ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1r2L8NSxOnQ.html Theres the link. I found a can of lighter fuel which I used today and was staggered at the dirt removed from my track after using a rubber . IPA back on the list .
So IPA, lighter fluid, and many others are pretty flammable. If I have a sparky locomotive that needs an intense wheel cleaning, could the cleaning fluid catch fire? A Ghost Rider train is probably not good for its plastic shell and motorized components.
Not all lighter fluids may be the same. I've just had a look at the ingredients on my newest can of lighter fluid (Swan). It says it contains petroleum spirit. I'm sure the main ingredient on my last can was naphtha.
The test was very fair but there is one product you might try and that is GOO GONE, Price may be the only drawback. Thanks and i enjoyed watching your video keep up the good work
Dear Sam I watched your video from a year ago today. I noticed that you didn't address how each chemical would effect the track's ability to conduct electricity over the long run; remember your rails and wheels are part of an electric circuit which could lose their ability to properly conduct the needed electricity if they were cleaned with the wrong thing. Maybe sometime soon you will make another video covering this and include the cleaner that are used to clean electric circuit like inox used in Australia or those used by ham radio operators to clean their coax cable and connectors.
Hey Earl - that sounds great, I'll give it a look! Yes you're right about that - none of these fluids will affect the electrical contact - they all evaporate quickly, leaving no residue! Thanks for watching - Sam :)