Thought on breaking in

[Iain]

Has anyone ever degreased a new locomotive and then broke it in with some anti-sieze compound?

[Chris333]

NWSL catalog: You cannot break something in, you can only break it out.

[peteski]

Anti-seize compound is a lubricant (grease) with aluminum powder mixed in.  I never heard of it being used as abrasive/polishing compound.  It is also messy (when used for its intended purpose).

But I have heard people using toothpaste (white, not transparent gel-type) as a polishing compound.

Is there some specific problem you are trying to address?

[Chris333]

Sounds like valve lapping compound.

[wvgca]

there's a lot of different chemicals that have some abrasive in them ...the most common are cleaners for faded paint , also about the cheapest ... unless you go to a dry block, shave it, and mix with an oil ?? 
but it will wear at any point where it touches, including the inside of gears and shafts ...

[rrjim1]

Clover Lapping Paste they have water soluble compounds from 80 - 1200. I never used it on N-scale locos but I used it to break in Aurora Thunderjet chassis brass gears. Worked great! 

https://www.mcmaster.com/polishing-compounds

[Maletrain]

I would not use abrasives to lap plastic gears to brass worms.  The plastic is way too soft, compared to the worm (and the lapping material).  The plastic is probably already much smoother than the brass, anyway.  Lapping all-brass gear/worm drive trains might make some sense.  But, if the lapping material gets into things like the bearings, it is going to make things sloppy, more than smooth.

And, regarding anti-seize compounds with things like aluminum in them, that is not really much use for plastic, because it is working to prevent corrosion.  Maybe an anti-seize material something like Neolube, which is just graphite in alcohol with a tad of binder, would be a useful dry lube for brass against plastic.  But, Neolube rubs off with wear.

[porkypine52]

Degreasing a new engine?  What?  If the engine has excess grease on it and is sloppy, maybe trying to soak up, absorb the excess grease or oil.  But to degease completely?  Wouldn't do that.  Would NOT try any lapping compound in any way.  That stuff is for GRINDING and making two surfaces match each other, by grinding both surfaces.  NOPE, not something I would want on any gearing.  Beside you don't know if the lapping compound is compatible with PLASTICS.  Used lapping compound for seating VW valves into heads and engine cylinders into heads.  That is a metal to metal seat, and lapping compound would eat/grind away metal until the seats matched.  Nothing I want to happen to my motive power. 
For GOOD lubrication of N-Scale gears and such, I am sticking with LaBelle #106.  Aero-Car also make some great lubricants.  There are others, but I'm just sticking with what I know.
https://labelle-lubricants.com/     and    https://achlubes.com/

[wazzou]

But I have heard people using toothpaste (white, not transparent gel-type) as a polishing compound.

Pearl Drops used to be the go to.

[nkalanaga]

I remember reading about Pearl Drops.  But, as most of my N scale stuff had plastic gears, I thought much as Maletrain.  "Breaking in" plastic gears doesn't do much for the mechanism.  The ones I had with metal gears, Minitrix and the early Bachmann, had loose enough meshes that I doubt breaking them in would make a difference. 

[peteski]

Degreasing a new engine?  What?  If the engine has excess grease on it and is sloppy, maybe trying to soak up, absorb the excess grease or oil.  But to degease completely?  Wouldn't do that. 

I do that all the time.  Most factory-new engines have so much lubricant applied that it even leaks out of them into the cradle they are shipped in.  I entirely disassemble the model and totally degrease/clean all the parts (moving and static, including the oil-stained shells).
Then upon reassembly I lubricate them using proper amount of hobby lubricants.

Taking models apart is my favorite part of this hobby, but I understand that I'm in a minority. 

[NorsemanJack]

Has anyone ever degreased a new locomotive and then broke it in with some anti-sieze compound?

WHY?!

[Iain]

I do that all the time.  Most factory-new engines have so much lubricant applied that it even leaks out of them into the cradle they are shipped in.  I entirely disassemble the model and totally degrease/clean all the parts (moving and static, including the oil-stained shells).
Then upon reassembly I lubricate them using proper amount of hobby lubricants.

Taking models apart is my favorite part of this hobby, but I understand that I'm in a minority. 

Well, yeah, I always degrease a new locomotive, then relube with Labelle*.

* I once was given a thimble full of sperm wale oil by someone that had legal access to it (from a wale that washed up on the beach).  I cleaned one of my locomotives, lubed with labelle, ran it around for a while to warm up, and then measured the current draw.  I then recleaned it, oiled with the sperm wale oil, and retried the run.  The run with the sperm oil drew 10% less current to run at the same speed.

[nickelplate759]

If there were a Railwire prize for most unusual model train experiment this would be a top contender!

[CRL]

Well, yeah, I always degrease a new locomotive, then relube with Labelle*.

* I once was given a thimble full of sperm wale oil by someone that had legal access to it (from a wale that washed up on the beach).  I cleaned one of my locomotives, lubed with labelle, ran it around for a while to warm up, and then measured the current draw.  I then recleaned it, oiled with the sperm wale oil, and retried the run.  The run with the sperm oil drew 10% less current to run at the same speed.

Where’s Gary Larson when we need him?