Dust

[M.I.B]

For those with a dedicated rail room, or even a guest room with a layout in it - Once they layout is built and operational, is dust an issue?

 

I know that shutting the widows and doors will keep a lot down/away, but is there anything else that can help? Keeping Rover and Puss out would help too I guess.

 

I don't fancy dusting a nice big "roundy roundy" because dust is a git to get off matt painted surfaces. I've seen peoples photos of drop down covers for "planks" on here, but I'm old school "roundy roundy" focussed.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Kenton]

Gave up fighting dust and learned to call it "weathering" years ago. Try to keep the cobwebs, dead spiders/flies/etc off though.

It only becomes a problem if you see it as dust.

[Kris]

I occasionally point the hover at Avonwick, but have found that having a roof section that holds the lights keeps the dust down a lot, even when the rest of the layout is open.

[M.I.B]

Thanks Kris - that has given me a good fantastic idea - make a "roof" using cupboards and shelves all around the room at a suitable height. Room to store empty rolling stock boxes, tools, paints, unmade kits etc, whilst suitcases and claggage can live under the boards.

 

I just get a jittery feeling when I see people with heaving bookshelves above a layout - imagining a copy of Bradwells landing in 4mm world would be like a couple of V2s landing!

[Barry Ten]

Normal household dust isn't a problem, generally. By far the worse problem is dust produced by wood sawing, cutting foam sheets etc. I try to do these big jobs outside the train room. Even working with card produces fine white dust. Once I introduced this "regime" I find the build up of dust on the layout to be pretty minor. Of course the rest of the house looks like a sh*t t*p but that's a small price to pay.

[Killybegs]

Dust can become a problem over time, particularly with 'soft' landscaping, so prevention is better than cure. When necessary, I dust hard surfaces, buildings and stock with a very soft brush in one hand and the vacuum cleaner in the other. If Clinkerford is erected at home, I have two foot lengths of dowel that slot into the perimeter of the baseboard to carry a light cotton cover. Putting this on and off is a two person job, fortunately my wife doesn't mind giving me a hand! I dust the layouts at Donegal Railway Heritage Centre (which aren't covered) about once a month.

[Guest stuartp]

Spray painting in the same room will produce a very fine greyish coating on everything too, regardless of how well you ventilate, extract or protect against overspray. I had a dedicated modelling room a couple of houses ago and when I came to decorate it after a few years the stuff was everywhere. For the layout I find vacuuming is more effective than dusting, provided everything is well stuck down ! Rolling stock gets done with a very soft flat brush (watercolour brush I think).

[bigherb]

Just blow it away with one of these.

 

[darren01]

HI

To stop dust getting on your layout in the first place , use black bin bags split open .

[bennyboy]

You could do what I've just done by building a lightweight frame from 20x20mm softwood with transparent polythene sheeting stretched across it.

[Etched Pixels]

Just blow it away with one of these.

 

 

Not alas available in N scale or DCC ready

 

More seriously I find the hoover fitting on the Tomix/Atlas (and in OO Dapol branded now) cleaning car really good for keeping the track areas clean and reducing gunge build up on loco mechanisms and pickups.

[Captain Kernow]

To stop dust getting on your layout in the first place , use black bin bags split open .

I do this at shows overnight. At home, the layouts are packed away and virtually 'hermetically sealed' to prevent dust getting in.

[chris p bacon]

When I built the "railway room" I purchased a cheap (£25) hoover from Wickes and that stays in the room, then whenever I do any cutting I fire that up and either clear up after straight away or even during cutting.

To date I have not had too much problem with dust, the window is never opened and the doors to the living are kept closed (except to get in/out obviously), I have been thinking about a lightweight cover along the lines of black bin bags but thats more to do with keeping UV at bay and slowing down fading of scenery.

[Southernboy]

I use the wafer-thin clear plastic covers that come from the dry-cleaners (which you can see through to admire your handiwork and consider what needs doing next without removing them )

 

Others have said before 'Oh, but when you take them off the dust just billows everywhere and lands on the layout' ... but it doesn't if you pull them aside carefully and shake them out of the window.

 

Yes, some dust still manages to sneak it's way in - but not half as much as without covers.

 

EDIT:

The other advantage to thin plastic is that it's less likely to damage fragile details if you snag them - just as likely the plastic will tear.

[Crisis Rail]

A spider had a taste of an EWS Class 66 and 15 HTA on our layout in the garage - no contest.........

 

I had problems in the garage with all sorts of airborne matter and keeping things clean was a real challenge meths on the tracks before each running session and a PECO rub down - also contended with the damp conditions and minus -11 this winter.

[Donw]

You could have a pumped filtered air intake so that the pressure in the room was higher than the rest of the house like the clean rooms. Or be like many and rip it all up to build a new layout every so often. One thing that could make a difference is to not wear dirty clothes in the train room. It is suprising how much dirt you can carry in. Say you have been sawing something in the garage. Walk into the train with it and you will carry the dust with you.

A last point a house left empty for sale small dirty spots here and there I think its spider Sh*t. You cant win.

Don

[Coombe Barton]

Plastic is great for keeping the dust off - however when you take it off the dust that was on it tends to drop off, and onto whatever's beneath (BTW this is displays in store and not layouts, but the same applies)

 

I like Killybegs idea with light cotton - when that gets dusty you wash it (but don't ask her to iron it ) I'm trying something totally encloses with removeable acryllic front (because I can and have the kit from stuff that was being thrown out) and it's in an environment where dust just seems to appear.

[M.I.B]

Lots of excellent points - UV degradation was something I hadn't considered in detail - black out curtains for non-running days methinks.