Lastspikemike Track fiddler This is turning out to be a Great Thread! I'm thinking about capturing some cat pee in the Future to accelerate the weathering of things to achieve a quicker patina TF May I recommend against capturing the actual cat. Obtaining just its pee would be a little easier.
Track fiddler This is turning out to be a Great Thread! I'm thinking about capturing some cat pee in the Future to accelerate the weathering of things to achieve a quicker patina TF
This is turning out to be a Great Thread!
I'm thinking about capturing some cat pee in the Future to accelerate the weathering of things to achieve a quicker patina
TF
May I recommend against capturing the actual cat. Obtaining just its pee would be a little easier.
The ice is broken now.
Do I have to scare the cat first Mike before I tuck that 3 foot tray I was going to use to soak the track underneath the cat?
Now that made perfect sense to me Mike!
I now would have to go along with that one and try vinegar in the tray and wipe the rails the next morning
I got that same greenish patina on my nickle silver track from using MicroEngineering's liquid blackener or darkener - which I was hoping would match the deep brown of their pre-weathered flex track. it does not. There is no evidence that MicroEngineering is peddling kitten pee in a plastic bottle but there may be some similarities.
The chemical means suggested by others for addressing the patina should be tried of course. However since my track is laid and ballasted I am reluctant to introduce more liquid onto the roadbed. I have a set of scratchbrushes -- almost like retractable pencils but with strands of brass, steel and fibreglass. The brass is a softer metal than the nickle silver and thus I'd try that (a brass wire brush in a Dremel turns too fast and would likely melt whatever plastic nubbins hold the rail to the tie).
Dave Nelson
I would find a long tray of some kind.
Go to Walgreens and buy about 10 containers of hydrogen peroxide. It's cheap.
Soak the Flex track overnight and wipe the rails with a terry-cloth the next day.
That stuff was the only thing that took nicotine stains off my fingers when I smoked. I don't have any experience or proof that this will work for your track but if it was my situation that is what I would try first.
I wish you the best of luck with that one Gary
Hi there. I would say it depends a lot on the condition of the track. I would start by rubbing it with alcohol and see if that works. It's the most gentle treatment, so that's why I would start there. If the corrosion is deeper, you might have to use something like Bright Boy or an extra fine sandpaper. You might have to go through a couple of grades to achieve that shiny look.
Simon
I've been hesitant to post this, but it's way past time to get some feedback on addressing the problem. Before I get too much flak, it has been a rough few years. My wife and life partner of almost 29 years was diagnosed with lymphoma, fought like crazy for 2 years, knocked it into remission twice, then passed after receiving a stem cell transplant that was supposed to "cure" it. That was 3 years ago. I have been in depression since, and have turned to my outdoor hobbies (hiking, canoeing, gardening) to cope. I'm not looking for pity, but explaining what led up to this situation. Earlier this year, I started to get back into my HO trains. No permanent layout, just a 8 x 16 test loop with sidings that's been up for way too long. We had a large box of 3 cases of brand new Peco code 83 flex track, and around 50 new turnouts. We had one cat in the basement for mice, then she had kittens and they multiplied. I was unable to catch around 4 of them. Needless to say, they had found their way into my track box and peed. This created a bluish green corrosion on the track. Only around 6 of the turnouts were affected, but half of the flex track was. My question is what is the most effective method of removing this corrosion? My initial thought was a Bright Boy, but I want to avoid scratching the track up if I can help it. I read in an earlier thread that white vinegar might work, but the search function on this forum does not seem to be what it used to. Google also turned up little.
This could have been much worse. My DCC equipment, locos, and rolling stock are all fine. The cats are gone, except for the momma, who has always used the litter box.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Gary