Thnak you Big Ed. I'll give it a try and let you know how it turn out. Thanks again for the quick response.Dawn dish soap in some warm water, it should wipe right off. Use a soft rag to gently wash them.
Take care around any lettering.
Blow dry with a hair dryer, just warm air.
Afraid they give your trains the virus...
... Old toothbrushes come in handy for other things, I save all mine and boil them, ...
What virus?Afraid they give your trains the virus![]()
Big Ed,What works good is an old toothbrush with soft bristles. You can get into the crevices. Old toothbrushes come in handy for other things, I save all mine and boil them, then I put them in with my trains cleaning supplies. Q tips, cotton balls, and some toothpicks go in there too.
Like I said just take care around lettering and decals.
Pictures are always nice to show what you have.Big Ed,
Sorry it took so long to get back to you, lots going on. I tried the Dawn/tooth brush approach and while it helped it didn't resolve the problem. Attached are a couple pictures. The mold almost seems to have scared the finish. I'm currently at a loss. Any additional suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. If anyone else has an idea, jump aboard.
Thanks
Ha Ha Ha yes, I don't want to infect my trains.Afraid they give your trains the virus![]()
My local dollar store sells a pack of 4 tooth brushes for ... a buck... No toothbrush gets tossed in my house. ....![]()
They work better after being broke in.My local dollar store sells a pack of 4 tooth brushes for ... a buck![]()
On a different note ... I used this kit from Harbor Freight ($5 w/coupon). I had some mandrels so all three wheels are mounted. I took an old drill and clamped it to a small workbench. For brass and nickel parts, the jeweler's compound on the small wheels will remove tarnish and light scratches. Then the large wheel to buff to a shine Great results. One warning - be sure your nickel parts a pure nickel. If they're plated, the nickel will wear through to the underlying copper. An example, Lionel prewar nickel journals.A toothbrush works great for smaller areas and the price can not be beat. For larger areas I have had good results with Harbor Freights KRAUSE & BECKER chip brushes. They are pretty soft and bristles will bend before applying to much pressure. + They are reasonably priced. I use the 1" brush but there are 2" , 3", 4" brushes available as well.
Pictures are always nice to show what you have.
I thought you were talking about a mold.
This deposit your showing is probably a mold release compound that was infused into the plastic when produced and is coming to the surface. A common problem on plastic trains from the 50's.
If it is mold release compound, it can be removed by warming the parts with a hot hair dryer. The mold release compound will melt, and can be wiped away with a clean soft rag.
It may take a while, do small areas. Don't try to heat the whole shell at once and wipe.
You have to be careful to use enough heat to melt the compound without damaging the shell.
A heat gun will work better, but watch the temperature, you don't want it too hot.
Let us know what happens.
As I am deathly allergic to mold I use a dental impliment from Harbor freight to get into the cracks and crevices The set of 5 or 6 is 2.99 a small price to pay versus getting sick!After everything has been covered, in the worst cases I use my fingernail to scrape as much of the mold spots off as I can.
Great tip. I tend to avoid using anything metal on the plastic shells for fear of scratching the paint. Most of the time I just do my best with my fingernail. I find it works to liberally apply the Armor All, and then use my fingernail to scrape areas while they are wet. That prevents any mold from becoming airborne.As I am deathly allergic to mold I use a dental impliment from Harbor freight to get into the cracks and crevices The set of 5 or 6 is 2.99 a small price to pay versus getting sick!
My buck 298's worth!
Stay Healthy !