Carnegie Falls I didn't do any extra buffing after the metal polish step, but here are some photos that might help us visualize the process. They are taken with a small handheld mangifier/microscope. After plaster, paint, ballast, etc., 400, then 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper:
I didn't do any extra buffing after the metal polish step, but here are some photos that might help us visualize the process. They are taken with a small handheld mangifier/microscope.
After plaster, paint, ballast, etc., 400, then 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper:
Can you do a pic of rail cleaned with a Bright Boy? I've extolled the virtues of gleaming in this model railroading group on Facebook and one person thinks the microscopic scratches are an "ubran legend."
Why has a Stainless Steel washer been chosen as a burnishing tool? Any imperfections in the surface of the washer will transfer scratches to the railhead. Stainless steel is not automatically supplied in a polished surface finish. Since almost any metal will be harder than Nickel Silver rail, wouldn’t it make sense to apply a finish to the burnishing tool first and maybe hardened tool steel would be a better choice?
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
So, what is the best advice regarding Gleaming?
Gleam your flex track before you ever lay it down on the roadbed for the first time?
Rich
Alton Junction
Metro Red Line said:
"Can you do a pic of rail cleaned with a Bright Boy?"
I don't have a bright boy so I can't do that comparison.
NP2626 said:
"Why has a Stainless Steel washer been chosen as a burnishing tool?"
Only reason is that is the tool mentioned earlier in this post (and others) about how to do the process. I figured you would want soft metal to "fill in" the scratches, but I think most others say you want a hard metal to "knock down the ridges."
richhotrain said:
"So, what is the best advice regarding Gleaming? Gleam your flex track before you ever lay it down on the roadbed for the first time?"
I don't see a need for that; it's already smooth. I guess you could polish it, but most are likely to foul the rails in some way while doing scenery or ballasting, etc. After fouling the rails, the gleaming and polishing method seems to do a good job at restoring it to an almost new condition.
On another thread about this topic, TomikawaTT (Chuck) said "Use the CONVEX flat side of the washer. Washers are punched out, so one side is bulged out and the other is dished. the bulged side burnishes. the dished side has sharp edges that can scratch the railhead, putting you back to square one."
This makes sense. I could feel a difference between the two sides of the washer and I flipped it back and forth, not knowing which was better. I may try to take some more photos after making sure to use the convex side of the washer and see if it has a greater effect.
The rounded side of the washer has sloped edges which act as cams running over sharp edges and plastic spacers of the kind found in DCC-friendly frogs. Best to use that beveled edge side-down when forcibly scrubbing the various surfaces and edges with a metal washer of almost any material...I would think. The other face of the washer has that stamped tooled edge that won't do much good if it is always catching on guard rail ends or something else.
For clarity sake, parts made with the stamping process have two edges rollover and breakage. The breakage edge will have some burr and would scratch the heck out of your soft rail head, so use the rollover edge. I've never seen a stainless steel washer with a plastic part as you've suggested, Selector. Can you explain?
As far as the surface of the stainless steel washer is concerned, if you where to take microscopic photos of the surface used to burnish the railhead on any stainless steel washer, you would find a surface as rough as any railhead shown in the photos. I should think that the surface finish needed on the washer, to provide a high degree of finish on the railhead would need to be a polished surface. Otherwise any surface rubbed with the washer can only be as good as the surface of the washer! Also, nothing in this process, up to the burnishing process, will protect the railhead's surface against tarnish, which I think is probably the biggest problem causing a lack of continuity between the wheels and railhead!
I have always been sceptical of the espoused benefits of "Gleaming Rail". Although I started this thread, I have pretty much convinced myself the process lacks merit.
And just think radio control trains would eliminate track cleaning. Almost.
I read Running Bear's post back in 2012 and I thought, I had nothing to loose; I couldn't keep my locos running more than 5 feet at a time without stalling, so I gleaned my N & NW before it went into storage and I gleaned the patio layout after I laid all the track. The only thing I did differently was I used 800 wet / dry sandpaper before I burnished the rails with the stainless washer.
When the N & NW finally came out of storage after 2 years, I didn't have to do anything to it and everything ran just fine. I also figured out that the plastic wheels accumulated dirt and redeposited it as they rolled along, so I changed all my rolling stock wheels to metal.
After 3 years, I just give the rails a quick wipe down with a piece of old t-shirt on either layout and I'm good to go; no scrubbing with a Bright Boy or anything else.
Bob Berger, C.O.O. N-ovation & Northwestern R.R. My patio layout....SEE IT HERE
There's no place like ~/ ;)
Gleamed my track in 2007 and still going strong. Do run a masonite pad on a couple box cars to pick up oxidation. Little used sidings do require a wipe down every now and then.