Cleaning Micro Trains Plastic Wheelsets

[nkalanaga]

Maletrain:  Sounds like you have a good start on your design, and it should work.

[Maletrain]

That clamp/spreader looks interesting.  But, I wonder how the "ratcheting" function is configured.  If it "prefers" specific positions on the bar, it might be too coarse to work well with the tiny distances and motions needed for very slightly springing N scale trucks.  Also, I think I just realize how it becomes a spreader.  It looks like you take the fixed jaw off one end and put it on the other.  If so, I don't think the span of the spreader jaws would be able to be reduced to the dimension of an N scale wheel set or even close to that.  So, it would probably take very long additions to the jaws to come back closer to each other.

I am thinking more like modifying something like this:  https://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-with-interchangeable-heads-63845.html

to be something like this: https://www.micromark.com/HO-RR-Truck-Spreading-Pliers

but sized for N scale instead of HO.  And cheaper, too.

[peteski]

Peteski, I did see the emoticons - and used one of them, too.     I was just joshing you back, not taking offense.    And beginning my following sentence with "Seriously" was intended to indicate that the preceding sentence was a joke.  But maybe that caused a "reverse Polish notation" glitch?    Anyway, all is good - wishing you a happy new year and clean wheels in 2022.   

Your emoji did not convey humor - it conveyed you being puzzled and confused about my reply, but this post is not only explanatory -- it is also humorous.    But as you mentioned, all is well.  As far as Reverse Polish Notation - I resemble that remark! 

Happy 2022 to you and everybody here! Now, where is that "fireworks" emoji? 

[NtheBasement]

I think split ring pliers would be better.  ttps://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-with-interchangeable-heads-63845.html

[nkalanaga]

Peteski and Maletrain:  That's one reason I don't use emojis!  The same "expression" can be interpreted different ways, especially with such small images.

Another is that I have no idea what most of them are supposed to mean, and, not having a phone that can use them, little opportunity to learn.  Landline phones and an old desktop computer don't lend themselves to modern graphic communications.

[Maletrain]

Peteski and Maletrain:  That's one reason I don't use emojis!  The same "expression" can be interpreted different ways, especially with such small images.

Another is that I have no idea what most of them are supposed to mean, and, not having a phone that can use them, little opportunity to learn.  Landline phones and an old desktop computer don't lend themselves to modern graphic communications.

Seems like misinterpretation is possible with or without emojis. 

Do we really need some sort of font for sarcasm and joshing?  We already have bold, italics, undeline, strikeout, ^superscript, _subscript, and whatever Tt is, not to mention color.  Not much left. Maybe mirror image for sarcasm and up-side-down for joshing?

Or, maybe just politely straighten out whatever misunderstandings happen like we are friends?

[nkalanaga]

The latter would probably be the easiest.

[conrad]

Yippee, Amazon delivered the iSonic D3800A ultrasonic cleaner at noon and by 2:15 I had it unboxed, read the directions (ahem) and successfully CLEANED ten Tropicana freight cars' wheel sets.





I'm really satisfied.  I just used lukewarm water and 280 seconds in this 0.6 liter, 35 watt cleaner.  I popped off 3 or 4 cars worth of wheels, tossed them into the cleaner's cage and  set the timer.  Once done, I ran a paper towel between my fingernail and the flange of the each wheel.  Sometimes I got a little spec of dirt but mostly the wheels were spotless.   Out of the 80 wheel sets I had to redo less than 8 so I claim a 90% success rate. 

The only limiting factor is eyestrain from my opti-visor.

As I said in my initial post, many years of running on N-Trak layouts has created a lot of dirty wheels.  This dirt is a significant contributor to dirt on my small home layout.

Conrad

PS no emojis, just an old school:)

[Bob]

This thread has caused me to look at some of my plastic wheels, and sure enough a reasonable number have gunk on them. Conrad- this ultrasonic cleaner looks really promising.  The holes in the plastic basket look pretty big - did you use something else to help you collect the wheels, or did you just throw them in the water and fish them out by hand when done?  Did you see a bunch of dirt floating around afterwards?
Bob

[randgust]

I got an ultrasonic cleaner a couple years ago and have just tried water.... and frankly, not much happened worth doing to clear wheel tread gunk off of MT wheelsets.  So I'm following this with great interest particularly on the size of the unit, what liquids are being used, etc.   Not sure why I'm getting few if any results here.

I'm willing to do some destructive tests on various liquids as I have a lot of 'condemned' wheels to experiment with.  However, anything highly explosive seems like a rather poor idea.

I'll report back in with the unit I've got here, it just may not be up to the task.

[MK]

What's that blue solution?  Did you use it in the cleaning process?

[conrad]

Bob: The holes on the edge of the basket will eat the wheel sets.  The holes on the bottom will not.  The wheel sets actually float from surface tension so you have to push/place them underwater. I just keep them in the middle.  I did not see any dirt floating around even after doing 46 at once.

Randgust: Here's my latest report - I just did 46 at one time with just water and 380 seconds.  Result was 7 were not cleaned and some of the others had some dirt spots.  Put those 7 back in for another 380 seconds.  2 did not clean.  Put those two in for 280 seconds (got impatient) and they sort of cleaned (had a few dirt spots).  Remember I hand spin every wheel in a paper towel between the flange and my fingernails after the ultrasonic cleaning.  This removes the occasional spot.

MK: I just used water so far.  The blue liquid came with the cleaner.  It's Isonic CSGJ01, a general purpose cleaner (jewelry, eye wear, etc.).  2 cap fulls per pint.

While not perfect. this is a lot easier and faster than breaking off brittle crud with a toothpick and spinning the wheels in a paper towel soaked in alcohol or Goo Gone.  The days of dishpan fingers are over

Conrad

[peteski]

When I use my ultrasonic cleaner (mostly for locomotive parts), if I leave it sitting for a day or 2, the debris settle on the bottom.  I use a turkey baster to suck the cleaning liquid back into its storage container. I do that carefully not to disturb the gunk.  Once there just about 1/4" fluid left (with the gunk still on the bottom, I dump that out. 

[narrowminded]

I hate wheel cleaning but it should be part of regular maintenance.  Regular doesn't necessarily mean frequent but as needed, maybe once a year or two depending on how much you run them.  What I find useful and as inexpensive as a bag of 100 plastic wheel sets is, keep new/ clean wheels and just swap them out.  Then, clean the removed wheels in a batch and at your convenience.  No rush to get them out of the cleaner and plenty of time to let them dry, etc.

[NtheBasement]

Has anyone tried cleaning the whole car rather than just the wheels?