The other day I was helping my dad at the hotels, and I saw this stuff on a shelf.
Has anyone ever used or heard of someone else using this stuff for track cleaning? Just curious, cause it looks/sounds like it might work.
http://www.sheilashineinc.com
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Sounds like something you'd use to polish a bald Ozzie woman's head.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Steven, I bet there are at least half a dozen other eligible materials for track cleaning in the market and asking the forum members, whether anyone has ever tried using them, does not enlighten the community.
Get a piece of track and try it yourself, if it is important to you!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
SpaceMouse Sounds like something you'd use to polish a bald Ozzie woman's head.
Good one. Your reply had me in tears!
My wife looked it up; stainless steel polish. Doesn't sound like it would be good for track cleaning. Let us know how it works out.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Just like "Blitz Cloth" and Carbona Spot Remover, Sheila Shine is an older 20th century product well known to those of us older than 60.
In the service, Sheila Shine was used to clean and "polish" the vinyl edging where the floor met the wall. It was also used to clean metal surfaces-particularly stainless steel, to remove dirt and restore Lustre.
Blitz cloth was used to polish brass- it would have been good for the old brass track rails. As for Carbona Spot Remover- worked great as a quick alternative to dry cleaning to get rid of spots on your clothes.
Gone are the days!
Cedarwoodron
riogrande5761My wife looked it up; stainless steel polish. Doesn't sound like it would be good for track cleaning. Let us know how it works out.
I used a stainless steel polish to polish the railheads after I burnished them. It worked nicely and nearly put an end to having to clean the track. Every now and then, I just run a simple track cleaning car over the layout and that does it for quite some time, say half a year.
So Sheila-Shine could be used - sparingly and carefully, not to mess up the ballast with it.
So burnishing was what worked, not so much the liquid used. I've seen people talk about gleeming - is that basically the same thing?
cedarwoodron Just like "Blitz Cloth" and Carbona Spot Remover, Sheila Shine is an older 20th century product well known to those of us older than 60. In the service, Sheila Shine was used to clean and "polish" the vinyl edging where the floor met the wall. It was also used to clean metal surfaces-particularly stainless steel, to remove dirt and restore Lustre.
I'm over 60 and I've never heard of Sheila Shine. It could be this is a regional product?
But it sounds to me like it's worth a try on nickel-silver track if you haven't found something that works. I use CRC 2-26 and have yet to to find anything that works better for me.That said, in reading the struggles people have with track cleaning, it seems to me that these issues are largely driven by environmental factors -- once you're on nickel-silver track. So it's definitely worth experimenting with differernt stuff if you're not happy with what you have currently.
My only concern would've been whether it's reactive with metals other than stainless steel. If it's used on vinyl, it has to be rather benign.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
riogrande5761 So burnishing was what worked, not so much the liquid used. I've seen people talk about gleeming - is that basically the same thing?
Hi,
Petroleum distillates, probably naptha, and tetrachloroethylene (dry cleaning fluid) are the two main ingredients in SheilaShine which, by themselves would probably make a good track cleaner.
My experience with several kinds of "metal polishes*" are that there are additional surficants and oils in order to leave behind the "water-repellant shine" (mainly mineral oil or pariffin) which I'd rather not have on my rail-head.
*Brasso, Porters Friend, Flitz, Tarn-x, Meguires, Mothers, etc.
In my experience, simple does it best.
Regards, Ed
My uncle polished his police badge with a blitz cloth and my dad had a gallon glass jug of carbon tetrachloride we used to clean clothes that has a spot of dirt of grease in his store. Shiela Shine has 3 carcinogens in it, I had enough exposure to the carbon tet.
Is Ozzie Osbourne's wife bald. I thought she was a red head?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
So perhaps a burnishing/polishing/gleaming process would do better?
Steven,
any abrasive material you use for cleaning track will leave tiny grooves on the railheads, which act as a magnet to any kind of dust, crud and grime. Basically, the process of gleaming - combination of burnishing and polishing, gets rid of those grooves and, while not stopping it completely, slows down the accumulation of new grime on the railheads and makes removable a lot easier.
Gleaming - the name coming from a metal polish named Gleam - has been described a number of times in this forum. Use the search function to find those posts.
Ed - you are right, most of the metal polishes contain some "secret formula" to make the metal surface water repellent. When you use them to polish the rail, make sure the polish is completely removed.
Has anyone tried Neolube? Micromark sells it.
As far as the gleaming, one should clean the track, give it a once over with 12000 grit sandpaper, then take a stainless steel washer and run it over the track a few times, then clean again, correct?
NWP SWPgive it a once over with 12000 grit sandpaper, then take a stainless steel washer and run it over the track a few times, then clean again, correct?
Not correct - forget the sandpaper and add the polishing after the burnishing.
NWP SWP Has anyone tried Neolube? Micromark sells it. As far as the gleaming, one should clean the track, give it a once over with 12000 grit sandpaper, then take a stainless steel washer and run it over the track a few times, then clean again, correct?
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
cedarwoodronAs for Carbona Spot Remover- worked great as a quick alternative to dry cleaning to get rid of spots on your clothes. Gone are the days! Cedarwoodron
I'm doing research for my club, we're coming up on an open house and the president is wanting to do a whole layout cleaning, there's problems with intermittent operation of DCC locomotives.
What's the polishing and burnishing process?
gmpullman Hi, Petroleum distillates, probably naptha, and tetrachloroethylene (dry cleaning fluid) are the two main ingredients in SheilaShine which, by themselves would probably make a good track cleaner.
Tetraclorethylene isn't very good for you. Here is the MSDS sheet. Read up on it before using.
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927293
That is one of those VOC's that they trained us about in my OSHA Hazwoper class.
NWP SWPWhat's the polishing and burnishing process?
Go back a few posts and there is your answer
riogrande5761That is one of those VOC's that they trained us about in my OSHA Hazwoper class.
So if you're modeling an era pre-OSHA you should be OK, right?
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Sheila Shine has a strong and distinctive odor that makes it unsuitable for 'home' or enclosed environments, and it has an oil or wax component that provides a fairly thick film on the stainless to give it that 'consistent no fingerprints' look ... until fingers contact it. It is about as far from a product used on low-voltage electric train track in basements as you can get.
The 'gleaming' involves a couple of things, which might get done in a different order when the actual metallurgical operations are better understood:
The track is progressively worked with abrasive (preferably wet at the finer grits) until as many as possible of the asperities in the railhead contact area have been eliminated. At this point you do the 'washer trick' to put some inward camber on the inside railhead faces to simulate wear (this according to the words of the fellow who innovated the process, apparently) and this at the same time burnishes over any fine scratches that remain from the abrading. You could go back and do some additional (wet) abrasive passes with very fine grit if the 'washer trick' has put longitudinal ridges back in the railhead metal.
Be prepared to get a loupe or operating microscope and know how to use it. And know what a railhead on actual prototype track looks like at the stage of wear you want to model.
Personally, I cheated with this last step by machining and polishing to 'profile' at fine grit, then using chemical superfinishing with a ceramic die 'to profile' which gives a surface finish finer than that possible with any mechanical polishing procedure. Ammonium bifluoride is likely the system I would use now, and I would figure out some way to automate motion of the die(s) relative to the railhead to semiautomate the tedium. This has the advantage that it will not leave much if any residue on the surface.
You can then 'top-dress' the rail with something that fills in any residual or subsequent pitting with a reasonably conductive film, and keeps atmospheric agents or casual contact with contaminants from starting to wreck the railhead surface again. This also keeps some of the 'yag' from wheel dirt and so forth loose enough that the masonite-block trick will pick them up. (I believe the CRC product referred to above is optimal for this). Note that this goes over any oxide generated as part of the chemical finishing system.
Most people aren't going to look at the situation with the combination of prototypical realism and metallurgical monomania that I do. Yes, much of it is overkill in any practical sense. I think the 'wisest' approach is to pick an appropriate combination of polishing and cleaning that works to give you the combination of appearance and reliable operation you want.
So what would be the ceramic dies you refer to? And how would you apply them?
NWP SWPSo what would be the ceramic dies you refer to? And how would you apply them?
If you look at some of the references for chemical superfinishing, you will find they use hard media (like ceramic beads) with gentle tumbling to keep the 'active ingredient' mechanically in contact with the highest points of surface asperities. Since you are not 'tumbling' the track (or likely using a complex agitating motion when straight-line motion suits the general geometry so much better) you make ceramic (or other hard or hard-coated material consistent with the superfinishing chemistry) that conforms to the desired profile, likely arranged in some kind of jig that alternates hard surfaces with wicks for the chemicals. I suppose if you were a Connecticut Yankee like me you'd rig this up in some operating cars, or build the fake Loram train I referred to in a previous post, and just set the thing to run for the same length of time required for the original superfinish chemistry to do its thing.
See US patent 5051141, for instance, which is nickel compatible (sulfamic acid being a common constituent in household cleaners).
carl425 riogrande5761 That is one of those VOC's that they trained us about in my OSHA Hazwoper class. So if you're modeling an era pre-OSHA you should be OK, right?
riogrande5761 That is one of those VOC's that they trained us about in my OSHA Hazwoper class.
Well, pre-OSHA, you just wouldn't know what killed you. Post OSHA, you have an idea what it may have been that did you in.
ANd all that crazy technical stuff is about as unecessary as (pick you favorite farming euphamisim, if you are familiar with any). All I ever did was burnish the rails (this was all new track, never cleaned with any sort of other cleaning liquid or abrasive) and, apart from wiping off dust accumulation if I didn;t run trains in a while, did no further cleaning and the trains always ran well, no flickering headlights. And until last week, I didn't have a single loco with a keep alive circuit in it (I bought a Walthers Plymouth, they come with a current keeper module installed). I expect similar success on my next layout. Now this Sheila Shine sounds like something I could use on my fridge and dishwasher, since they are always showing fingerprints. But the track? Doubtful.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I rather doubt the current formula of Sheila Shine contains 3 carcinogens. But it doesn't sound all that spectacular. I'll stick to my CRC 2-26. It's very low effort - wipe the clean rails with a slightly moistened in 2-26 cork, let dry overnght, and run. I did one application over the entire line about 5 years ago. I spot cean trouble spots and have renewed the application in a couple of spots, but I'm lazy when it comes to track cleaning and this works for me.
NWP SWPHas anyone tried Neolube? Micromark sells it.
Like CRC 2-26, Neolube is a product familiar to narrowgaugers. It's often used to get that slick but cared for look to valve gear. DO NOT get this on a wheel so that it compromises the insulation in a driver tire!.
On track, it tends to bridge across gaps as it spreads. That's not a good idea at all, because once it gets into something it can be very hard to remove. I'd strongly advise against using it on track.
People do use graphite itself in the dry, stick form (like artists sometimes use) on rail. I've tried it, results vary, and I found CRC 2-26 to be a superior product if properly applied.
Neolube is colloidal graphite suspended in isopropyl alcohol. I use it for lubricating my sergent couplers, axle points, side rods (metal things that touch each other that I dont want to use Labelle oils on).
As the name suggests, its a lubricant (a very simple one). It would not make a good track cleaning substance (it will get on everything, fingers, clothes, track ballast). Also due to the lubricating nature of the graphite, you may experience some loss of tractive effort, which will be most noticable in smaller locomotives.
Also its about $20 for (is it a 2 oz bottle?). My former (all of them) and current employer uses it for certain applications. Thats where I learned about it. I bought one bottle from Micromark, and barring a catestrophic spill or evaporation of said bottle, it should last me quite a while.
The carrier agent by itself (I use 70% isopropyl alcohol) works great in CMX track cleaning cars though. You need a good, heavy P2k unit to pull it (I used a pair of P2K SD60s on the club layout before I installed sergent couplers).
Isopropyl alcohol also works great for wheel cleaning and track cleaning. Target sells 32oz bottles for $1.99.
Best of luck with your track cleaning adventures.
Edit:
I did not notice when I posted that someone had answered previously.