Cleaning old models

You could try to blow off as much as you can with some air , like the stuff for key boards and electronics. Then use a soft brush to get rid of any excess left.

About every 10 yrs or so I clean all my models (about 400 or so at last count) and use a tissue soaked in slightly warm, mildly soapy water. I then use a dry tissue to dry them. Goes through the tissues quickly but does remove any dust etc without harming the decals or paintwork.

I've found that the force of a hair drier can blow off loose decals. If a loose decal comes off with the wet tissue at least you can see it and rescue it for re-attachment rather than see it fly off and away.

400 models [:0] Lord and I've been griping about dust on the 3 models I have. I use my air compressor and a hard brush for tight corners. I would think tissue would crumple and after it dries tissue tends to leave little "hairs". I would think a brush with soapy water might work better. Everybody has different ways to do things, this is just my . Cheers!!!!!
Kelley

I would think some compressed air would do well to get dust out of the little nooks and crannies, then a gentle wipe with a cloth to restore shine and finish.

Bare Metals plastic polish will get them back to looking new

Chester

Hey Clfesmire,
I've never heard of BareMetal's plastic polish. Where do you get it? Or is there a website? Cheers!!!!
Kelley

For frequent cleaning, the best brush you can get is the one that women use for makeup powder. They don't shed bristles and they are soft, just remember to not use it for anything else. Also, keep your hands off of the bristles to avoid contamination from skin oil.

As far as cleaning an accumulation of dust and guck, I like to use Q-Tips and warm water.

I use a spray on glass cleaner than dip the model in a sink of water, place on a towel to let dry.

Rob.

Bare Metal Plastic polish available at : http://www.truckstopmodels.com
go to catalog and click on Bare Metal

A lens cleaner brush sold by camera store is also a good investment.
The soft bristles and squeeze bulb blower feature allow dust removal without damage.
Cost is usually under ten dollars or so.

Cheers, Pete.

Guys -

The best way to clean models, is not to let them get dusty in the first place. I'm not a prolific builder, and a good build can take weeks or months, depending on how much free time I can get. Those plastic display cases work wonders. Yes, dust can sneak in, not sure how , but it does. still a lot less than sitting on a shelf. If the model is already dusty, agree, a dry soft bush is step 1, step 2 is warm water, step 3 is warm soapy water. Haven't tried the paint polish, yet, but sounds good!

Good luck!

Archer out.