'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

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DianneB
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by DianneB »

jcbrock wrote:The running gear wipedown at shutdown, as you were trying to get out of there, was always a good reminder to not over-lube.
LOL!
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Bill Shields
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Bill Shields »

easier if you don't lube at all..

metal shavings blow off with air and don't leave residue....
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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DianneB
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by DianneB »

Bill Shields wrote:easier if you don't lube at all..

metal shavings blow off with air and don't leave residue....
Funny Bill, very funny! :shock:
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Bill Shields
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Bill Shields »

or you can go with delrin AF bearings and forget the need for lube....
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Bruce_Mowbray
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Bruce_Mowbray »

I have found that WD-40 removes old WD-40. The residue is paraffin which is the protectant. Kind of like water based coolant. The best solvent for dried up old coolant is new coolant.

Everything will oxidize over time unless an impenetrable coating is applied. Lacquers and enamels or good but they get chipped and scratched, and are not very heat resistant. Brass and copper do need to be polished now and then and a new protectant applied. Polishing is what engineers do.
Bruce Mowbray
Springville & Southern RR
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cp4449
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by cp4449 »

My loco has lots of brass. I use Semichrome polish, soft cloth. For the paint, a tiny bit of bearing oil on a cloth, wipe , then rub off with a soft cloth.

After running, compressed air everywhere, and a good wipe down with a lightly oiled cloth.
Christopher P. Mahony
Los Angeles Live Steamers
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trivettj
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by trivettj »

I just purchased some of the simichrome polish and it is by far the best polish I have ever used and I had not ever heard of it until this post and I am very glad I found out about it and I would recommend it for anyone that wants really nice brass or just about any other metal that you want to polish also it says on the can that it leaves a protective film but I have not had it long enough to see how long a polishing will last but but it works so easy and well that it will be much easier to shine metal from now on. Thanks to the one that told about it on here .
Wolfgang
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Wolfgang »

I seem to recall reading somewhere that a really wise guy in our hobby was so sick and tired of polishing the brass on his iron horse that he got all the brassy bits gold plated! Perhaps worth looking into.

My own "hobby horse" is a 3/4" scale CPR Hudson and the brassy bits are pretty small to get my aging mitts on.

Anyone here have experience with gold plating and its cost? w
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Harold_V
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Harold_V »

Wolfgang wrote:Anyone here have experience with gold plating and its cost? w
Very little experience, but what little I've had, I did myself. I made the electrolyte and the anode, but that was when I was involved in the refining of precious metals. One must have sodium cyanide available, and that's extremely difficult to obtain. My purpose was to gold plate a railroad spike for a friend, and, of course, one for myself.

I have no clue how expensive it would be, but you can assume it would be beyond affordable, due in part to the large surfaces involved. It is also very susceptible to scratching, as the gold deposit is pure, and very soft.

Because gold migrates, especially on copper alloy surfaces, it's critical that a barrier layer be applied. Nickel is the preferred layer, as it prevents migration, which, over time, discolors the gold layer (it gets absorbed by the copper alloy). That complicates things, as more than one bath is required.

For those who might be tempted to try gold plating, a prepared electrolyte is available from jewelry supply houses. It's not cheap, and does not require a pure gold anode, although the use of one would extend the useful life of the electrolyte.

Here's a picture of the spike. Note that I chose an unpolished finish.
DSC00040.JPG
H
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Wolfgang
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Wolfgang »

Thank you for your reply, Harold.

Perhaps the plating could be restricted to those parts that are hard to get to for polishing, especially on smaller scale models. w
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Harold_V
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by Harold_V »

Wolfgang wrote:Thank you for your reply, Harold.
You're welcome! Hope it provided at least a little guidance.
I added a picture in my original replay, if you're interested in seeing the results I achieved.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
BClemens
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Re: 'Engine wash" and shiny brass?

Post by BClemens »

Found this - may have some merrit:
Engine Enamel, Clear, 11 oz, Spray
• Item Grainger # 4YKY8
• Mfr. Model # 248944
• Catalog Page # 942
• UNSPSC # 31211507
• Item Engine Enamel
• Color Family Clears
• Color Clear
• Container Size 11 oz.
• Coverage 10 to 12 sq. ft.
• Dry Time 20 min.
• Max. Temp. 500 Degrees F
• Application Method Spray
It's a Rust-Oleum product....Product Details
Rust-Oleum® Automotive Engine Enamel is a handy, durable spray-on coating that brightens and customizes your engine 8) . The super-high-gloss finish resists oil, gas, grease, rust, salt, humidity, and solvents. And of course it stands up to the intermittent high heat of an engine on the road :shock: —up to 500°F. The comfort tip lets you spray at any angle.
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