Plastic model cleaning

An insulated wand attached to a domestic ioniser output , perhaps with the diodes reversed for opposite polarity ? Would keep everything dry if it worked.

Following the medical rule of "First, do no harm", let's start with what not to do.

One does not clean dirty LPs with plain water, because it can turn dirt into a gummy mess.

Similarly, one should be certain the initial solvent or cleaning agent will not convert the dust and dirt into a caked-on mass.

It seems likely the decals will fall victim to whatever cleaning scheme you choose.

I like your idea of dousing (with cleaner), then dunking (in the pool). I was going to suggest a citrus-based cleaner (such as Curtisol), but these attack polystyrene and some paints.

Perhaps you should start with a mild cleaner (Glass Plus), then work your way up the strength scale, using stronger cleaners only where needed.

Regardless, it would be a good idea to perform preliminary tests on a less-visible area of the model.

How about an ultrasonic cleaning bath ? That's what they use to clean delicate jewellery. I guess it would have to be a fairly big one, but I fixed one not long ago that would have been big enough to take a model that size, so maybe some local company might have one ?

Arfa

I'd use a technique similar to what I think that the archival art restorers use, namely use a very mild surfactant and work on one small area at a time. Soap, dunk, and swoosh is for dinner plates and silverware, not something like this.

Start with the tops of the masts and work down, working on an area no larger than, say, your thumbnail. Wear an Optivisor if you have it (if not, get one! ;-). Use an airbrush to apply just enough surfactant to just the right spot. Acid brush, dental picks, q-tips, and patience but when you're done, it'll be worth it.

In one respect I like the Archival art approach. But even doing a small area at a time in this way, I think that inevitably dirty water with some caked on dust will find it's way down the mast to the deck below. To complicate things, it seems also as though this is a sort of "greasy" dust that will need some loosening in some way first. That's why I thought of the cleaner first. I guess I'm going to have to jump in somewhere. Lenny

In 20 years you'll be able to buy a jar of cleaner-nanobots and dump them on the model.

True, but nanobots will replicate themselves endlessly and bury you in grey goo.

I don't have the slightest idea how to clean the plastic model. I would be tempted to dump it a pail of alcohol and soapy water, shake well, and blow dry it with an air compressor. If there are any badly glued parts or encrusted goo, that should shake it loose. However, if any of the paint, decals, dyes, or glue is attacked by either solvent, you'll have a mess.

I have great luck with Mean Green. Spray it on, let it do it's job. I clean dirty fans this way. Works fantastic. BTW I usually use a shower head in my bathtub for these things.

True, but nanobots will replicate themselves endlessly and bury you in grey goo.

I don't have the slightest idea how to clean the plastic model. I would be tempted to dump it a pail of alcohol and soapy water, shake well, and blow dry it with an air compressor. If there are any badly glued parts or encrusted goo, that should shake it loose. However, if any of the paint, decals, dyes, or glue is attacked by either solvent, you'll have a mess.

=A0I

wer

In 20 years I'll be very grateful to still be around to look at it. Lenny

Surprisingly, distilled water, not de-ionized, sprayed on as a flushing action. Loose parts will come off, but I've only seen paper affected by this cleaning process. Even windows with unknown films on them slowly but surely come clean. Maybe three/four times or more but just keep going.

I guess that I'm especially concerned about the decals coming off. But if I do use water that may be inevitable. I don't know. Lenny

ny

gently retrieve loose decals and preserve.

hope all goes well and you clean up this model, so you can post a picture of the finished results.

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:20:03 -0400, Robert Macy wrote (in article ):

Tagging on... sorry. In the spirit of this group, how about putting it in front of a big speaker connected to an audio oscillator to blast the dust off?

More tagging on: Hang/mount it upside down, if you do acoustic cleanng. The choice of recording 'artist' for the blasting is left up to the OP. I don't favor 'music' that could perform this function.

Jonesy