Dust????

[ChiefEagles]

How do you handle the dust that settles on layouts. Engines and rollling stock are dustable with paint bursh and etc. Buildings and other items???? Give me what you do to "clean up" your layout.

[laz 57]

About three times a year I pick up all my people cars and take the trains of the tracks and get the shop vac out and suck up all the dust on the main layout.
On buildings we have a small version that is the size of a linch bucket that I use for buildings and mountains etc. Then I take a wet rag and go over the roof tops etc. Takes about a good 2hrs. to complete.
laz57

[cnw1995]

I have a feather duster on a long stick so I can reach into the corners of the layout without tromping on it but rarely use it - dust isn't a big problem in this basement.

[brianel027]

Ah yes Chief, dust.... if I could only make some money selling dust! Problem is, dust is not is short supply... everyone seems to have enough of their own.

I've made paper covers folded like a "U' for the trains from acid free paper that are on shelves, which helps quite a bit. Years ago I got these plastic shelving units and the cars go into the shelves so I only see the ends from the front of the shelves. It does mean sometimes I have to look a little harder for a particular car, but I try to put them on the shelves in general categories so I can locate them.

Other than that, for me it's the old soft paint brush routine. One in a while, I get the vacuum cleaner out and using the paint brush, I do the layout dusting items towards the vacuum nozzle.

Anymore I always thank God for allowing me to have this silly hobby that does so much for me... the trains have been with me for so long. Sometimes I joke with myself and I think with God's voice "okay I made it possible for you to have the trains, but dusting them is still your problem."

On a side note, one night I was leaving a Tabernacle service at church. It had been a pretty intense time for me. As I walked out of the church, a train rolled by on the tracks next to the church.... a Santa Fe war bonnet was in the lead! The first time in my life I'd ever seen one! I was jumping up and down and hollering and thanking the good Lord for that little boost. The Pastor was watching me and probably thinking I was out of my mind. He now knows though how connected I am to trains. The timing and circumstance of that war bonnet was a real sign of encouragement for me!

[Dr. John]

Dust - the age old problem. For my layouts (that tend to be smaller, island style layouts) I will cover them with an inexpensive cotton sheet. The sheets are breathable, which prevents moisture build-up and help keep some of the dust off.

I do pretty much the same as everyone else for dust removal: soft brush (I like old shaving brushes) and a damp cloth. I've tried "Swiffer" cloths with mixed results. They are soft and pick up dust well but are prone to snag on building corners and details.

[TurboOne]

Hello all,

Paint brush on the trains and cars. I use Dept 56 buildings or similar, so the paint brush works on them also. My tracks are all pretty much temporary, so I can vacuum the tracks very easy, and not affect scenary.

Tim

[wrmcclellan]

I just integrate it into the layout.

[dougdagrump]

Good idea Roy ! If enough builds up you can pass it off as dirty snow. [swg]

[Blueberryhill RR]

Actually, dust looks good on some things. On others.......NO. My problem is keeping dust off of snow. I now cover it with a sheet, but that creates problems. A small soft brush is the best.

[Roger Bielen]

I have an adapter that attaches to a vacuum cleaner hose that is used for computers. The hose is 1/2"X48" with a mini brush and a "radiator" attachements. I also use a soft hair brush on rolling stock and engines.

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ChiefEagles

How do you handle the dust that settles on layouts. Engines and rollling stock are dustable with paint bursh and etc. Buildings and other items???? Give me what you do to "clean up" your layout.

Chief, this must be the dumbest question you have asked in a long long time. I can not believe you asked the great guys on this forum such an obvious question. Everyone knows that to clean a layout properly and cheaply you just let the rain and snow clean it off now and then. See winter cleaning below.

Sometimes in the summer, I do use the garden hose. [swg][swg][swg][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Anonymous]

Hello All : Buckeye you do make me SMILE, Thank you. I don't remember who told me this but it works great. If you can find a lather brush from an old shaving kit the bristles are soft & tightly bound works better than a paint brush. Regards Steve

[Jim Duda]

Chiefie - to get rid of the dust you already have accumulated, follow Buckeye's advice; to prevent dust in the future I suggest you bring up your dirty air at your next Roseyville Town Meeting to discuss the purchasing of a new Air Filtration System for the town...that's what we did in Austin - since it is the State Capitol, there was too much polluted air escaping from the legislature! Now, with our new filtration system, it's just like living in Ohio...

[csxt30]

Buckeye: I'm really glad that question was asked on dust! I see where the prices of Pressure washers have really come down, so maybe they would really clean your trains better & faster, just be sure and close those windows and doors you have open on your cars there![(-D][(-D][(-D] Seriously , though, I use a soft paint brush, shop vac, & a feather duster. Thanks, John

[ChiefEagles]

Jimbo, dirty air??? Ours come from north west of us. OHIO. If we shut down all teh mills and factories in that area, we'd have clean air. Yankees always trying to get us southerners. [;)] Thanks gang for the answers.

[Roger Bielen]

Down here it's the time of year for pollen, especially pine, not pollution like in Yankee Land. Everything starts to take on a green tinge. For the train room the best bet is to keep the windows closed and a good filter on the AC unit.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Since I'm still building my layout, my dust is sawdust! What I had planned on doing is to place a filter in the supply duct of the HVAC at the register. I have the "computer cleaning accesory kit" for a small shop vac that I was going to keep in the trainroom after construction is completed, well at least the messy part. It has small diameter extension hose brushes and an adjustable coller to reduce the suction pressure.

[FJ and G]

I take a spray bottle full of water and wa***he dust down into my desert stream, where it eventually empties out to the ocean

[underworld]

Roy I like your idea! Free scenery!!!!![:p]

ChiefEagles This won't help take up what's already there but there is something you can do to reduce it a lot. You have probably seen the commercials for Sharper Image's Ionic Breeze air cleaner. These really work. No filters and you can run it 24 hours a day for next to nothing (even at NW Ohio's outrageous electrical rates). They are pretty expensive, but you can get them on eBay from Sharper Image for about $170 to $180 with shipping if you do the "Buy it Now" (about $140-$150 before shipping). There are some smaller units for about half of that price.

underworld

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[jkerklo]

I found that my shop vac sucked too hard for some layout scenery.

I now use a "dust collector" that I bought for the table saw. Dust collectors move a higher volume of air at a lower pressure. They are a lot quieter too. Makes a suprising difference.

The shop vac brush attachment with a couple extra wand extensions works well and can reach anywhere.

John Kerklo
TCA 94-38455
www.Three-Rail.com

[Dave45681]

It won't help what's already deposited, but a few years back I bought a Holmes Air purifier at Target. Think I paid about $80 for it. I leave it running all the time, and since I am not actually trying to purify the air to HEPA standards, I don't replace the Hepa filter, but I do vacuum off the 2 filters at the input every once and a while.

It may not make the room dust free, but it certainly helps. It's obviously not as quiet as an Ionic Breeze, but it's not too noisy. (plus you can always just shut it off while running trains if it bothers you)

My room is only about 12 x 11, so you would probably either need a bigger unit or several to do an actual basement area.

[ChiefEagles]

Good idea on the air purfirers. Got a small Honeywell in bedroom. Wife likes background noise to sleep. I need clean air. My train room is 13 X 13. Thanks guys. I know I am installing exhaust fan [bathroom type] in ceiling. Train smoke has to leave a residue.

[laz 57]

CHIEF this amazes me that you duped so many to answer this question? Maybe you yourslf can make the South rise again? Only with Viagra[;)][;)][:P]
laz57

[underworld]

The Holmes and Honeywell units are really good. There are also a few other manufacturers that make similar reasonably priced units. If you can justify the initial cost of the Ionic Breeze though...they are fantastic! [:D]

underworld

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