I use WD-40 to clean wheels.

[Wabashbud]

 I have been using WD-40 to clean the gunk off my wheels.  I use a cloth soaked in WD-40 and rub the wheel until its clean.  Then, I give it at least 24 hours for the excess chemical to dissipate and I'm done.  How do you do it?

[Taranwanderer]

I love WD-40 for cleaning, it's a great solvent and dissolves most any gunk you can find. However, I don't like it as a lubricant, it tends to attract dust and dirt over time, so I usually clean the item with WD, then clean off the WD with a plastic safe electrical parts/tuner cleaner, then lubricate with the Labelle's or whatever I'm using. I usually just rub the excess WD off after the cleaning with paper towels, but there's usually not much WD left after the tuner cleaner.

[arkady]

Alcohol on Q-Tips.

[anjdevil2]

Hey Bud!!  It was good to see you at the TCA thing in Orange Park!!

I use GooGone.  I also use it to clean my tracks and it seems to work very well.  A diaper or similar cloth (or if I'm cheap that week, paper towels) and the gunk comes right off. 

Rich

[richhotrain]

Wabashbud

 I have been using WD-40 to clean the gunk off my wheels.  I use a cloth soaked in WD-40 and rub the wheel until its clean.  Then, I give it at least 24 hours for the excess chemical to dissipate and I'm done.  How do you do it?

Are your wheels plastic or metal ?

Rich

[[e-mail]]

Dremel with a wire brush attached. I love to maintain my trains but I don't want to spend wasted time on the wheels. With the Dremel it's over in a few short minutes. Man if I had to use any other method I would be in the train room for the rest of my life.Hey! Come to think of it, that's not a bad ideal. LO

[Wabashbud]

 Rich, it was good to see you, you'll have to drop over some day and vist my rail road.  I have used the WD-40 on metal wheels but I have a couple Atlas cars that have plastic so I guess I'll find out if it works on them. 

Taranwanderer, tuner cleaner is a good thought, have some in the garage I'll give it a try.

 

Bud

[runtime]

Rubbing Alchohol, paper towels, and a flat blade screw driver. Then Labelle's oil.

It works, but it is very labor intensive and tough on the fingers. I should buy/try a dremel I suppose.

runtime

[Buckeye Riveter]

[e-mail]

Dremel with a wire brush attached. I love to maintain my trains but I don't want to spend wasted time on the wheels. With the Dremel it's over in a few short minutes. Man if I had to use any other method I would be in the train room for the rest of my life.Hey! Come to think of it, that's not a bad ideal. LO

I use the Dremel tool, but I use a Scotch Guard type of brush that I buy at train shows. (I have only seen them at train shows.) With the Dremel the crude goes flying.

[HighPlains]

 A good pencil eraser works for me unless it is really crusted on then a flat blade screw driver works well. I like the dremel idea and will try it.

 

Mike

[servoguy]

I have used the Dremel wire wheel for cleaning things, but I want to caution everyone about it. The wires break off and fly away. They can get picked up by engines with MagneTraction, but more importantly, they can get in your foot, and they are so small they are hard to see. Obviously, you should wear eye protection when you use the Dremel. Bruce Baker

[RockIsland52]

To me a dremmel sounds like overkill on the wheels unless it's a big project.  I'm in the alcohol/cotton t-shirt club, flat blade screw driver but seldom needed.  I got behind on this maintenance once before and swore never again.  Same with the track cleaning....though I find the scotch brite pads are sometimes necessary to do a thorough job.

Jack

[[e-mail]]

I don't clean my wheels frequently but when I do it's a job and a half. I've done the alcohol and Q tip routine but it take forever, I mean forever! Not just a couple of hours but a day or more of steady cleaning. With the Dremel it's a couple of hours and they are bright and shinny. I know the crud flys off but I love to catch it with my teeth and chew it like gum. VBG

One has to be careful and reasonable caution should be applied and don't use the wire brush anywhere near the layout or locomotives. That should be common sense, like not using steel wool to clean the tracks. Yuk!

[richhotrain]

You guys inspired me.  I just cleaned the plastic pilot wheels on my steam engine with a piece of cotton cloth and some rubbing alcohol.  Talk about gunk !

Rich

[Timboy]

 

[Hudson#685]

A lot of good clening and safety tips here. I have always used alcohol, a Q tip, and paper towels to clean my wheels.

   John

 

[[e-mail]]

If you like using an eraser you love this! Couple of years ago I had an idea and bought on Ebay an electric draftsman's eraser. The kind with the 6 inch long eraser element set right down the middle of the device. Cost me 10 bucks or so. It's great, absolutely great, for polishing up the commutator plates on the motors. It might work well cleaning wheels also, don't know, never tried but it is a suggestion. By using different types of eraser elements I have burnished many different types of metals. Nice job, cheap price!