All: Goo Gone Test
bu...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
After my post last week about a film caused by Goo Gone, several of you
reported the same problem. I also said that I would try to clean my track with
alcohol last Thursday evening.
To clean the mainline tracks for the SFRH&MS tour visit, I used iso-proyl
alcohol on a Centerline track cleaner. The Centerline was pushed with an
Atheran SD-9 with two trailing box cars with Masoite blocks. Note that I did
not use Goo Gone first. Also note that the tracks had not been cleaned for
about 2 weeks.
The cleaning technique resulted in an abunance of gunk on the Centerline towel
and the Masonite blocks. This occured after only two runs around the 286'
mainline.
Next I ran the Centerline with a new towel and iso-propyl alcohol a car back
from a Tenshodo Big Boy on a 27 car train with the two cars with Masonite
blocks on the rear. The towel was saturated with alchhol, and the results
were the same. My guess is that the gunk came from the metal wheels.
The drivers and wheels on the BB were first cleaned with a towel with Rail Zip.
The iso-propyl seemed to remove some of the film.
A problem did occur on one of the minimum 1.8" grades. The heavy BB broke
traction and slipped the drivers along a 10' section. I thought that the film
might have served as a traction agent. A message from Galen Coupe, however,
now convinced me that the alcohol was still wet. After it dried, ther was no
traction problem Galen suggested first cleaning with Goo Gone and then
iso-propyl. This is not a bad idea.
For me the jury is still out, but there is some new information. I plan to use
Goo Gone and iso-propyl in some combination.
Monday morning the BB was still running fine after heavy use on the weekend.
Jim Budde
K SF & P RR
john a dalton
....an observation from the chemical side...if anyone mixes GOO-GONE
with isopropyl alcohol, it will cause the GOO-GONE to "saponify", or
turn into soap...this can be a source of the "residue" left on the
track after "cleaning"...since common rubbing alcohol contains a large
proportion of just pure water, running a trainset over the tracks
after applying GOO-GONE and then "wet" isopropyl alcohol, is the
equivalent to "working up a lather" with a bar of soap...and if one
were to introduce an abrasive into the stuff, then you'd have a
reasonable likeness of LAVA soap...
...i've found that a cleaning with GOO-GONE followed by a rubbing of
the track-top with a light touch of "fine oil" (sewing machine,
3-in-1, hair clipper) does the trick for me...BUT i do a
wheel-cleaning on each car...only takes a second...my grandson helps
me...he's good at it, too...it's the smaller hands and no arthritis...
(no doubt you've heard me speak of him before)... :)
...hope this helps...big john...
bu...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
In article <3470835e....@news.mindspring.com>, jape...@mindspring.com (john a dalton) writes:
...big john... started me wondering about GOO GONE and isopropyl. Last night I
mixed the two to see what would happen. I mixed equal amounts of each. What
appeared was a mixture that looked something like yellow water and oil.
After a vigorous stir, there was no lather. This morning it looked the
same--no soap. I'll let it set for a while, and see if it does turn to soap.
Cleaning with isopropl over track previously cleaned with GOO GONE did not
produce any lather affect last weekend. I will try again this weekend with a
fresh coat of GOO GONE followed by isopropyl.
After a number of confirmations from you that GOO GONE does produce a residue,
I am looking at the other alternetives that were recommended--unscented
kereosene, naptha (not commonly available in pure state) mineral spirits,
lighter fluid, isypropyl, etc.
Several of you have advised that you have had good luck using GOO GONE
followed by isypropyl. There was no mention of any problems--including
lather.
While my track seems to stay fairly clean, I do plan to experiment with oils
recommended. There are just too many posts, to ignore the method. If it does
create more dirt, cleaning with the methods discussed would be an easy fix.
The oil is also much cheaper than the electrical conductive fluids.
Jim Budde
K SF & P RR
> ....an observation from the chemical side...if anyone mixes GOO-GONE
Merlin W. Phillips, Jr.
SNIP
> I am looking at the other alternetives that were recommended--unscented
> kereosene, naptha (not commonly available in pure state) mineral spirits,
> lighter fluid, isypropyl, etc.
>
Go to your local home depot type store and get the Naptha in the paint
section. It is available in 1 gallon cans for approximatly 8-10 dollars.
(it is used as a thinner / additive for finishing wood / paint)
v/r
merlin
hma...@worldnet.att.net
Do you think denatured alcohol would work better than Isopropyl alcohol? T tried iso and
didn't think it was that great.
Chris White
Hmm, maybe some kind soul would draw all this stuff together and post
a FAQ on the web?
--
Chris White
KB2BDB
bu...@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>
>While my track seems to stay fairly clean, I do plan to experiment with oils
>recommended. There are just too many posts, to ignore the method. If it
>does
>create more dirt, cleaning with the methods discussed would be an easy fix.
>The oil is also much cheaper than the electrical conductive fluids.
Add one more vote for clipper oil. One of my co-workers uses it on his
.027 track just before showing at a local model show. No problems yet.
Just (as previously posted) 1 drop every 10 feet and let the highballing
freights do the rest...
I gotta see this myself!
Scott