# Wheel Cleaning



## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

Guys,
What is the best way to clean the plastic wheels on Gilbert AF engines, tenders and rolling stock? Will alcohol applied with a Q-tip dissolve the plastic? I can't believe how incredibly dirty some of the wheels are on used items which I have purchased.

Mark


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Try GooGone with a soft toothbrush, q-tips, etc.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Do what TJ said then wipe them down with alcohol.

Straight Isopropanol 99% or 91% won't harm the plastic. 
Once you get down to like 70% it is denatured with chemicals like ethyl acetate, MEK, butyl acetate, etc, they will eat the plastic.
If you can get straight ethanol that is safe too, but not denatured ethanol. Grain ethanol is what I use. No I don't drink it but I could if I wanted. 

Isopropanol 99% is the stuff they use in hospitals to wipe you down. You can get it at your pharmacy or somewhere like home Depot.
Just stay away from the denatured stuff, 91% is 9% water, 99% only has 1% water.

Watch heat sources when you use it, it will burn/blowup. Use plenty of ventilation, if you smoke don't do it while cleaning.


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

The high % alcohol is the way to go as they said. But also if you have a white residue like some AF items might, use a hair dryer to blow heat on it. The whiteness will disappear. It is a chemical that was used when they molded the parts -- over time it turns white.


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## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

Thanks for the tips. I used plain old rubbing alcohol on the one engine I tried to clean but after 4-5 Q-tips per wheel the Q-tips were still black. I figured that what I was getting was not dirt and grime but plastic.

Mark


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## phmo (Feb 2, 2012)

If you were cleaning a steam locomotive shell, the black on the q-tip was most likely paint, not plastic. Flyer steam engine shells were made from black plastic and then painted black.

PHM


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## phmo (Feb 2, 2012)

OOPS!! Disregard my reply Mark. I mis-read your post.

PHM


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

markjs said:


> Thanks for the tips. I used plain old rubbing alcohol on the one engine I tried to clean but after 4-5 Q-tips per wheel the Q-tips were still black. I figured that what I was getting was not dirt and grime but plastic.
> 
> Mark


If you were using 91% or 99% you were getting gunk off.

Anything under that percentage might have well been plastic. 
Your bottle should tell you the percentage. Most all percentages under 91% are denatured with chemicals that will eat the plastic and it should tell on the bottle the ingredients of what they used to denature it.

Get some goo be gone and an old toothbrush, like TJ said, then after you degunk them use the 91% or 99% Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) to clean off the residues.
That way it is super clean and the alcohol drys (dissipates) real quick. :thumbsup:
Do the same for all your wheels not just the plastic wheels.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

I use my dremel with a brass brush at slow speed.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

phmo said:


> If you were cleaning a steam locomotive shell, the black on the q-tip was most likely paint, not plastic. Flyer steam engine shells were made from black plastic and then painted black.
> 
> PHM


Flyer shells were made of bakelite, not plastic.. I never saw a black shell painted black though.


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## markjs (Dec 11, 2010)

Guys,
Thanks again for the help. It's hard to tell when the wheels are really clean, but the observable difference on the red pilot wheels of the old Franklin is remarkable. (I do suspect, however, that the color fades somewhat after 50+ years.)
As an aside, I look at some of the really neat layout videos on Youtube, and I'm sometimes amazed at how much dust some of the the rolling stock has. A slightly damp cloth (and some Pledge if you want) goes a long way in making old AF stuff look good again. 

Mark


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Yea -- I think my color has faded over the last 60 years too...


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## phmo (Feb 2, 2012)

Ditto on the color fade!!!

PHM


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