Removing sticky foam from a loco

[SONIC883_de]

Hi,

 

I will get a Tenshodo brass loco where the foam became a sticky mash and the loco was liing in...

 

How to remove this stuff? Has someone an idea?

 

Cleaning solvent or ethyl/rubbing alcohol can be to harsh for it.

 

- Kai

 

[cteno4]

ive had good luck with some of the orange oils getting sticky stuff off w/o getting at paint. never tried it with decals though... there are concentrated stuff that takes off stickers well and then the more dilute cleaners that might be the place to start.

 

jeff

[E6系]

Hello Mr SONIC883_de,

 

Firstly, I had the joy of riding the Sonic 883 last October.  I admire you choice of train.

 

Secondly, foam and styrene are easily dissolved by acetone.  Please try.

[KenS]

Careful, acetone will also dissolve any plastic parts, like number boards. I used a different solvent to strip paint off a brass loco once, and was surprised to find my number boards were painted on plastic, not on brass. Brass loco's aren't necessarily all brass.

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

Are you trying to preserve decals and paint on the loco?

 

Jeff

Edited June 9, 2013 by cteno4

[E6系]

Hello Mr Kai,

 

Yes, so sorry, other members are correct.  Acetone dissolves many types of plastic.  You must take care to avoid any detail features, sign boards, etc.

[SONIC883_de]

Hi Guys,

 

thank you for your answers.

 

I haven't bought the loco already, yet. But the price is good. I want try to keep the original paint. So my question is to remove only the sticky foam. Only when nothings other helps I will repaint the loco. 

 

@Jeff: there arn't many decals on. Maybe the loco-name, Manufracture and some small numbers. When I loose the when I repaint the loco it will be not nice but ok. Attached a photo of my Tenshodo EF58. There you can see the few detailing parts on.

 

 

Edited June 9, 2013 by SONIC883_de

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

then i would start first with just water on cotton swabs. then try a little soapy water, then maybe one of the orange oil cleaners dilluted, then isopropanol last. light isopropanol application wont start to eat the paint right away, only if really soaked or rubbed hard. if you can use just enough to get a little into the foam and surface but not pool when touched with the swab the isopropanol might evaporate quick enough to not start on the paint or decals. if there is any overspray inside or under the body, try the swab out first to see if a little rubbing takes any paint up. 

 

if you do find something that gets it off it still may change the sheen of the finish where you worked on it, but usually a light dull coat can cover this up. i found this out when a kid and trying to clean the couple of bachmann spirit of 76 white locos i had which would always end up with smudges where you picked the engine up! after a couple of cleanings with soapy water it started to get smooth there and dull coat helped and also make cleaning easier later. i probably should have just smudged up the whole side as im sure the prototype white diesel was quite grimy pretty quickly!

 

acetone is going to to at everything organic pretty quickly so like ken mentioned some details might be in plastic...

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

occurred to me to maybe start with a compressed air can (small computer aerosol air cans with the needle tip) and see what can be blasted off. short blasts close up (it will get things cold fast dont want it too cold) might get it mostly off and then look with loupe to see if any stickum is still on the paint then try removing that with swabs and whatever. or if not really visible thing about trying a dull coat to just seal it in (this may or may not work...)

 

jeff

[SONIC883_de]

The current owner had tryed to remove the foam with a soft brush and air pressure ...

Actual he give me no life sign. I am waiting for the loco. We it arrives I will try the soft methods up to the harsh ones and I report which one works

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

sounds really stuck on. love to hear the results! when trans-shipping some items for malcom's son to australia last year one thing was a brass locol that had a deteriorated foam insert like this. looked like most would come off with air and brushing, this sounds a lot worse!

 

btw ive found these little guys useful, eye shadow applicators. little foam brushes. also good for weathering.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-Eye-Shadow-Makeup-Brush-Sponge-Applicator-Tool-NEW-/370820683846?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5656a29846

 

you can get 10 or so at the dollar store. they dont start to come apart in water like qtips will.

 

jeff

[SONIC883_de]

Hi,

 

yesterday the locomotive has arrived. I was so fixated to the problem that I had forgot to take photos :-(

 

First I used QTip with water, than water and soap - nothing happens. Then I gave rubbing alcohol a chance. The alcohol etches a little bit the paint, but removes the foam flakes.

Only some scars in the paint will be still there. 

 

Thank you all for your help

 - Kai

Edited July 19, 2013 by SONIC883_de

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

hey great, maybe just some weathering! forgot to mention you might start with a dilute solution and work up. something like 25% isopropanol 75% water. 

 

i think the big trick is not rubbing hard and having the alcohol dry as fast as possible as well so as not to soak into the paint too far.

 

good to know your experience!

 

jeff

[SONIC883_de]

Hi Jeff,

 

for these lovely old models isn't weathering not the right finish. Maybe a soft polish will be better.

Here the Result with some Foam which is let after the cleaning. 

 

I like this "Japanese Crocodile" 

 

Now I am looking for some correct coaches for her and her sister EF58

 

- Kai

[cteno4]

Kai,

 

Maybe a dilute isopropanol on a tooth pick to go after the individual bits. Tedious, but i bet they will lift easily with a little direct pressure.

 

Maybe dull coat to get the finish equal?

 

Jeff

Edited July 21, 2013 by cteno4

[SONIC883_de]

Yeah... something like this. It is really hard to remove all of this sticky 'Dreckszeug'. After the second cleaning it looks better.

With dull coat i can't flatten the surface. After that I could have bigger 'mountains' on it.

 

The 98% of the foam is gone. The detail cleaning is planed for autumn. Actual the weather is to good to sit in the hobby room 

 

- Kai