Hobby11 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 grinningWhen I was cleaning my TTe layout (6.5mm gauge!), I used a stick about 10" long with a strip of cameos leather (from Poundland) pinned to one end. I wet that with meths (now I'd use IPA!) and when the end got dirty I'd unpin it and move the leather strip half an inch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 ... IPA is sold as track cleaner and is known not to harm the track or the locos... Er... you've not seen what strong IPA can do to some paint finishes then? I have. Sorry but that stuff is not going anywhere near my track or models (I keep litres of the stuff for cleaning my 3D prints). "Rubbing alcohol" (70% ish) is no doubt safer but I much prefer a fine grade track rubber or a ceramic bath rubber over any of the "potions" some people use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateshci Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 There's Isopropyl Acetate (not miscible in water ) around, also a solvent and some market it under the IPA abbreviation. This stuff is detrimental to plastics and paints, whereas Isopropyl Alcohol ( The proper IPA and miscible in water ) will not harm common plastics with the exception of polyvinyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby11 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Thanks, Ateshci, it was the stuff specifically sold for MR use I was talking about... I wouldn't use IPA beer for track cleaning either, such a waste of good beer! joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 Depends who brewed the IPA! 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-353799 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Laboratory Quality Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) 50mlPrice: £4.95Inc.Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is an excellent solvent for a variety of model cleaning jobs, including rails and wheels. DCCconcepts IPA is especially pure and will leave no residue. Use with care, as it can also effect paint finishes.Laboratory Quality Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) 50ml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-353799 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 So back to Peachys Maas polish is it a thumbs up or what? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 So back to Peachys Maas polish is it a thumbs up or what? lol👍👍well it is from me… I’m so convinced that’s it’s an absolute game changer I’ve been polishing everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 @steve - see this thread for more discussion:https://uk.hornby.com/community/forum/track-cleaning-372008Sorry but you are asking for a simple answer to a complex question. The simple answer is everything has pros & cons!1) Polish will clean the rails & make them shiny (pro) but unless you remove all traces of the polish, any residue will decrease electrical conductivity & traction (con).2) Track rubbers (not actually rubber but mildly abrasive stone) will clean the rails & make them shiny (pro) but also remove any protective coating (if present) and place micro-abrasions in the rail surface (con).3) Pure IPA (not the beer!) will clean the rails (pro) and because it’s pure alcohol evaporate without leaving residue (pro) but it’s also an excellent degreaser & paint stripper - so if accidentally spilt on models will ruin paintwork & remove lubrication (con).4) White Spirit/Methylated Spirit will clean the rails (pro) but because they aren’t pure alcohol they leave a residue, which can reduce electrical conductivity & traction (con) they are also excellent degreasers & paint strippers, (con) so don’t spill them on models!5) The only chemical that appears perfectly designed for cleaning rails is a non-polar electrical contact cleaner - however these are not available in all supermarkets & won’t be cheap! (con)6) Similarly using Balsa wood or Hardboard or a lint-free cloth (with a load of elbow grease) won’t be too abrasive towards rails or protective coatings (pro) - but equally won’t be able to clean extremely dirty/tarnished/corroded rail that has been neglected! (con)Ultimately you have to choose which pro is most suitable for your need & which con you can best manage to work around.Edit - couple of clarifications:• I did not wish to suggest that elbow grease was a requirement for using Balsa/Hardboard/lint-free cloth - merely that they shouldn’t damage rails even if used enthusiastically. Whereas more abrasive cleaning methods definitely will cause damage if used too aggressively.• My comments regarding tarnished/corroded rails are not particularly relevant to TT:120 track - they are more relevant to other scales which have used tracks made of different materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted January 15 Author Share Posted January 15 I can only speak of my experience, balsa wood, no elbow grease, the gentlest wipe over and track stays great for weeks, I don’t experience any drop outs on DCC or BT (when I use it) only stay alive is in my 08 shunterTarnish does not affect electrical conductivity (science 😁) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Thanks @Rallymatt for alerting me to ambiguity in my post. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-353799 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Wow! LT&SR. Many many thanks. I’m expecting some IPA this week and will start with that first.👌🚂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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