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cleaning a dirty,dusty model


Paul Palmer

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For gentle but effective cleaning of really dirty models, metal or plastic, I find 'Silver Foam' good stuff. Buy a tub at your local jewellery or shop selling trophies/cups etc.

handy to know David,but i just used a very weak solution of washing up liquid,seemed to do the job

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Water does it for me! Dip a cotton bud into warm water and gently rub the model, working into all of the detail. Immediately go over it again with a clean, dry cotton bud to get rid of the exess dampness. I made the mistake of  dumping a whole model into a bowl of water once, (thinking it had no decals to worry about...), Not only did some decals magically appear in the water, but a load of loose paint came away too, leaving me with a very forlorn looking tractor indeed!

 

I also use a makeup brush, ( buy one of your own, as rouge is a bu**er to get off of a model and the wife will moan!), to clean dust out of grilles, etc. and air duster, which can be bought in aerosol cans for cleaning computers, is useful for dusting those tiny, highly detailed models that break all too easily.

 

My daughter is a conservator in the Science Museum and she brought me some foam called 'smoke sponge'. It was designed for cleaning up old paintings. It's great for brightening paintwork on a model. Just rub it gently over the area to be cleaned and it somehow lifts all of the grime off, without damaging the paint surface underneath. Not sure where you'd get this on the open market, though!

 

These days, I just try to keep 'em clean by closing the display cabinet doors... ha ha! :)

Edited by bigbear
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  • 2 weeks later...

I do love to see someone get a bargain!

 

I have a soft brush which looks like glass fibre, but becomes charged with static and lifts the dust off a model beautifully - even the delicate parts. Got it originally for PC keyboards.

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thanks john,i dont think i will ever get a bargain like that again,the parts guy is a top bloke,they just didnt need the model anymore,really happy with it,after a quick chat with the wife she says she has these static brushes at work,couple going in her handbag tomorrow

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