SDJR7F88 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hi all. I have been wonder what is the best way of cleaning loco wheels without using metal brushes or scrappers, like the Peco or others bands, as I have heard they can scratch the wheels surface. The method I'm looking info is wheel cleaning fluids. I have in the past used a bit of white spirit or Humbrol Thinners to clean wheels which have worked quite well (I only have used white spirit one, as I though it might not be such a good choice). The Humbrol Thinners seemed to have worked dreams so far, especially on models which I have just finished weathering, removing powders and other dirt for the wheels. I was just wondering is there any, more suitable wheel cleaning fluids, which can be bought or even a totally different cleaning method. Many Thanks Callum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokebox Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is possibly the best solvent cleaner for this job but methylated spirits is a reasonable alternative if you can't get IPA very easily. BTW a brass wire brush shouldn't scratch the wheels running surface as the brass is softer than the wheels. A glass fibre brush could be used too, though these do leave microscopically small scratches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
86902 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hi Callum I use Goo Gone, which is available from dcc supplies. Removes all sorts of gunk including tar and chewing gum, I use it in my CMX cleaner tanker. Cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moggs Eye Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I use IPA applied using cotton buds. I have a rolling road and remove one stand in turn to free up a pair of wheels to clean while they are rotating under power. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHunter Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hi Callum, I've just started using IPA available in litre bottles (or is it 2l) for £15ish from Maplins. Hadn't worked out how to apply it to wheels but cotton buds sounds good. Cheers Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted January 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 5, 2015 I use lighter fluid or IPA on a Woodland Scenics "Tidy-Track" wheel cleaner. Cat no TT4561 Other retailers are available. Hi Callum, I've just started using IPA available in litre bottles (or is it 2l) for £15ish from Maplins. Hadn't worked out how to apply it to wheels but cotton buds sounds good. Cheers Mike Check out ebay or similar if you require a decent quantity - 5litres of 99.9% strength available for less than £16 delivered. Cheers, Mick Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I use IPA applied using cotton buds. I have a rolling road and remove one stand in turn to free up a pair of wheels to clean while they are rotating under power.What a simple yet brilliant idea, & blindingly obvious now you've said it!!! Thanks for that - I have some Bachrus saddles that'll be ideal. I used to use a Peco Brush'n'Scraper when my locos were 12v DC; they don't work so well with DCC/sound locos. The only other alternative method I'd heard of was to soak a cloth in IPA & run one truck (i.e. bogie - it was an American idea) on the cloth whilst holding the loco on the track. Might not be too bad in HO or N but I didn't fancy trying it in O scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
70021 Morning Star Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hi Callum, I had major problems with a Hornby tender-drive locomotive. It has rubber tyres on two of the drive wheels, and after giving the loco a 'lube job' on its electric motor and valve gear, it wouldn't pull any coaches without the tryes skidding. It used to happily pull 10 coaches, no jerking, even at low speed. I tried various alcohol-based solvents and degreasers, then I gave the wheels and tyres a bath in Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). The IPA did the trick. 70021 Morning Star, a Hornby tender-drive, is now hauling up to 10 Mk1 coaches with no slipping of tyres on the rails. You might also find your track needs attention. I'd cleaned mine with abrasive pads and metal polish. But noticed my hands were picking up black marks the next day. I guess the cleaned metal was oxidizing. This left a black deposit that also transferred to the electrical pickups and the drive tyres. Again, IPA was the answer. It removed the deposit from the track, and I used a cloth to clean the wheels. ...suspect I need to apply some anti-oxidation 'stuff' to my track. -- Suggestions anyone? By the way, Halfords sell ptfe based 'dry lube' for cycles. This is good on valve gear, as it attracts less dirt than oils. But do check that what you buy won't affect your plastic or paint. All the best, Rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew F Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Nail varnish remover (acetone) on a cotton bud. It's a big pink bottle from the pound shop and lasts for ages and is also good for cleaning track. I finish off with lighter fluid (also from pound shops) which seems to remove any residue left over and the wheels gleam. I invert the loco in a home made cradle and power an axle up with one of those old red Tri-ang brushes whilst cleaning the other wheels....works a treat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6, 2015 I use the cloth/paper towel over the track method. For stubborn gunk, I use a wooden tie (sleeper) and rotate the wheel by hand (or power if it's a driven wheel). I've had the occasional problem with rubber tyres. Goo Gone is no longer on my list as I hear it leaves deposits. I have another product that I think is dilute alcohol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftbovine Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I give really dirty wheels a scrape with a wooden toothpick followed by IPA on a cotton bud. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium GraemeWatson Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6, 2015 Two alternate methods for you. 1) Autosol metal cleaner I use occasionally on recalcitrant wheels, applied with a cotton bud, and buffed with kitchen roll. 2) Cola. If you recall the famous videos of cola bringing pennies to a sheen, I used to drop lima brass coach wheels in this overnight to some effect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I've been using track magic from Deluxe Comes with a pad for track cleaning and a small soft brush for wheels Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tomlinson Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Slater Track and Mechanism Cleaner on a cotton bud usually does it for me - it seems a fair bit stronger than the Carrs variant. To get right into the corner of flange and wheel centre wrap a bit of tissue round something thin like a steel ruler and apply the cleaner to the tissue. You'll be amazed how mucky things get! John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
decauville1126 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I use lighter fluid or IPA on a Woodland Scenics "Tidy-Track" wheel cleaner. Cat no TT4561 Other retailers are available. Check out ebay or similar if you require a decent quantity - 5litres of 99.9% strength available for less than £16 delivered. Cheers, Mick Cheers, Mick I too buy it in 5 litre lots from a supplier off ebay - shop around for the best deal to include carriage. It works out very cheap compared to buying small bottles of the stuff and has many other uses around the home such as cleaning upvc windows, worksurfaces, and the like. Obviously test a small area first ....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am also having trouble obtaining such products, due to Royal Mail restrictions. However, I read on the Dapol site that they DON'T recommend IPA (which I can get here easily), due to water content, and advise RailZip (which I, so far, have not found here), if one cannot get the Dapol product. Does anyone agree with them? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatheringMan Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am also having trouble obtaining such products, due to Royal Mail restrictions. However, I read on the Dapol site that they DON'T recommend IPA (which I can get here easily), due to water content, and advise RailZip (which I, so far, have not found here), if one cannot get the Dapol product. Does anyone agree with them? Hi, Definatly not. I have been using IPA for many years both professionally and within the hobby for various purposes. IPA as sold through most sources does not contain any significant level of water and will not cause a problem when used to clean wheels. Go ahead and use IPA thats easily available to you. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMartin90125 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I am also having trouble obtaining such products, due to Royal Mail restrictions. However, I read on the Dapol site that they DON'T recommend IPA (which I can get here easily), due to water content, and advise RailZip (which I, so far, have not found here), if one cannot get the Dapol product. Does anyone agree with them? Could this be down to them selling fluid for their motorised track cleaner? I also use IPA, it also has another use. A friend's son had a dead Play Station console and brought it back to life by pouring IPA over the circuitboard. Has to be more to it than that. Couldn't understand what he said, though, like some teenagers who grunt... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatheringMan Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Could this be down to them selling fluid for their motorised track cleaner? I also use IPA, it also has another use. A friend's son had a dead Play Station console and brought it back to life by pouring IPA over the circuitboard. Has to be more to it than that. Couldn't understand what he said, though, like some teenagers who grunt... Hi John, We meet elsewhere!!. IPA has been used for years as an electronics cleaning agent in just that way. Its possible for an electronic device to cease operating due to conductive dirt being attracted to the tracks lf a pcb. With the tiny currents involved this can often result in a virtual short circuit that 'kills' a circuit. This is particularly prevelent in devices containing potentiometers as these can and do produce minute quantities of carbon dust. A good clean with IPA - which will not harm the components or itself 'short' things like CPU's will very lften revive the equipment. Refering to our motor conversations on GBL, my mate, a computer engineer who provides the optical drives I rob of motors, has demonstrated this very cleaning to me. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
70021 Morning Star Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Interesting comments of delivery problems in the UK. I just Googled for "railzip uk" and was immediately offered Free UK Delivery on Amazon. However, at £5+ it's quite expensive. Particularly as we're all aware that cheaper household products - someone mentioned 'Coke' - often do the same job at a fraction of the price. That's why I asked for advice on anti-oxidant "stuff", because there's loads of knowhow on rmweb. I've also used Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) in many areas, for many years, and it's something I like to have in the cupboard. Metal Polish, especially the anti-tarnish varieties also look good, but I'd seek rmweb expertise before using something like Duraglit, as the anti-tarnish may effect the electrical conductivity. Speaking of which, do take care not to get that ptfe 'dry lube' (which I mentioned earlier) on any electrical pickups - wheels and the copper contacts underneath - as it appears to give a nice ptfe 'dry' non-stick coating to the valve gear, but ptfe also acts as an insulator. So, only apply with a toothpick to the valve gear bits that need lubrication. Rick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Have tried rail zip (or zap) it works, but at a cost you end up with a film of black muck on your rails and wheels. Your loco will run and run well, but the cost is that it will pull F/A. It's OK if your layout is a small shunting plank but for a layout that you want to run big trains on I would not recommend it. I use it on my test tack and ran one of my locos on a large layout and they are still trying to get it off the track. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted January 6, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hi all. I have been wonder what is the best way of cleaning loco wheels without using metal brushes or scrappers, like the Peco or others bands, as I have heard they can scratch the wheels surface. The method I'm looking info is wheel cleaning fluids. I have in the past used a bit of white spirit or Humbrol Thinners to clean wheels which have worked quite well (I only have used white spirit one, as I though it might not be such a good choice). The Humbrol Thinners seemed to have worked dreams so far, especially on models which I have just finished weathering, removing powders and other dirt for the wheels. I was just wondering is there any, more suitable wheel cleaning fluids, which can be bought or even a totally different cleaning method. Many Thanks Callum Over the years I pretty well used all the solvents mentioned and they all work. IPA from Maplins works out the cheapest. You mentioned scrapers scratching your wheels........ Some time back Steve Bennett off Pepper 7 suggested for scratched track to rub a carpenters pencil over the track after cleaning and it fills in all the scratches with graphite which is of course conductive, this has worked a treat with the small locomotives used in narrow gauge on various layouts. Never tried it on scratched wheels though.... Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatheringMan Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Over the years I pretty well used all the solvents mentioned and they all work. IPA from Maplins works out the cheapest. You mentioned scrapers scratching your wheels........ Some time back Steve Bennett off Pepper 7 suggested for scratched track to rub a carpenters pencil over the track after cleaning and it fills in all the scratches with graphite which is of course conductive, this has worked a treat with the small locomotives used in narrow gauge on various layouts. Never tried it on scratched wheels though.... Terry Hi, Graphite is also a very effective lubricant so is likely to build up to the point where pulling power is severely impeded. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hello all, now I've had a real think about this, Lets start from how the rails are made, they are drawn through a die AFAIK. The die will leave small marks along all of the surfaces of the rail. These will be very small and running a lot of trains with metal wheels will help smooth them out, that is if the wheel tread is as smooth as the rail. The next thing to think about, is the wheels. Most metal wheels have a turned tread, if that is the case these have M/Cing marks in them (scratches) so until these have run a good number of "miles" these will not be smooth. These may look smooth to the eye but they are not. So if you want to use a rail cleaner like a track rubber use it, for wheel cleaning a brass brush will be OK . BUT don't forget to clean the wheels of all of your stock. That you run behind all of your locos. OzzyO. PS. get rid of any plastic wheels, they transmit more crap than any dirty metal wheel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatheringMan Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hello all, now I've had a real think about this, Lets start from how the rails are made, they are drawn through a die AFAIK. The die will leave small marks along all of the surfaces of the rail. These will be very small and running a lot of trains with metal wheels will help smooth them out, that is if the wheel tread is as smooth as the rail. The next thing to think about, is the wheels. Most metal wheels have a turned tread, if that is the case these have M/Cing marks in them (scratches) so until these have run a good number of "miles" these will not be smooth. These may look smooth to the eye but they are not. So if you want to use a rail cleaner like a track rubber use it, for wheel cleaning a brass brush will be OK . BUT don't forget to clean the wheels of all of your stock. That you run behind all of your locos. OzzyO. PS. get rid of any plastic wheels, they transmit more crap than any dirty metal wheel. Hi, Absolutely spot on OzzyO - and something that is often overlooked. That said its necessary to use a mild solvent to remove the greasy deposit that builds up due to grease and moisture in the atmosophere - but NOT some of the things suggested on here that are risky for a model or downright dangerous for the user. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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