Who uses No-Ox


Olie

Active Member
I've read and seen the use of No-Ox-Id "A Special" electrical contact paste on model railroads. I have two jars of it and have used it for other applications. I'm wondering who on here uses it and what is your use/application method? I have a ceiling track that is overhead and requires a ladder to work on. I recently purchased the CMX cleaning car and that will keep the track clean but I'm wondering if adding No-Ox to the rails would help stave off some of the gunk.
 
I have used it and will never use it again. However, I know there are others on this board who have used it with great success and highly recommend it.

There are "proper application instructions" out there that need to be followed. You only need the thinnest of layers.
 
I, too, tried NoOx and apparently didn't apply the layers thin enough. I'm always seeing a slight black film on my fingers when I rub them over the track; I go over it with my CMX car every ~6 months or so.
 
I've been using ACT-6006 Track & Rail Cleaner ( www.aerocarlubricants.com ) for 3 years. Best stuff I ever used. Cleans well and does not seem to collect airborne dust. Not slippery even on my 3% grades. I apply it with an old lint free cotton handkerchief although the directions indicate it can also be used in a track cleaning car.
 
For anyone who is interested, here are the detailed instructions for using No-Ox:
http://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?18676-Track-cleaning-Linn-Westcott-and-No-Ox

Important: No-Ox is not a cleaner. It is a corrosion inhibitor and should be applied only to track that is already clean. Anyway, the link above provides all the details.

I use No-Ox exactly as directed and find it to work as claimed.

- Jeff

As I said, there are those who have used it with great success.

Give it a try, Olie. Follow the directions, though. Patience is the key.
 
I also have used the ACT-6006 track cleaner and had better than mixed results. Not sure if the protective resdiue of the ACT-6006, in time collected dust. I finally switched to Masonite pads and alcohol on my CenterLine cars.

I never used the No-Ox, but did use Fritz metal polish and didn't like the residue it left and the effort to apply and remove.

Greg
 
My $0.02, I don't think any kind of past type product will work very well. There will always be a residue left, that will collect dust. Then gum up the wheel treads of the trucks..... big mess.

A solvent based liquid will clean the rail head, lacquer thinner for instance, then evaporate leaving a clean none insulated surface.

@greg:
Damn buddy, if I'd been on here when you were getting ready to use the Fritz. I would have centennially advised against that as a choice to clean the rail head.

Hell that stuff is miserable when used for polishing alum wheels....

Greg
 
Greg: One other problem with Fritz is if it gets on the ballast, the "blue" Fritz is there forever. Impossible to completely remove.

Thanks.

Greg
 
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One more comment about No-Ox. People who have not used it or have used it incorrectly continue to think of it as a cleaner or a polisher and are concerned about the residue that might be left behind. This indicates they misunderstand the product or have used WAY too much No-Ox. The amount needed is on the order of 1/4 of a teaspoon per 500 feet of track. Also, after treating the track with No-Ox per the instructions, it is extremely important to wipe it off the track -- twice -- with 24 hours between wipes.

As to its how No-Ox works, forum poster gary60s explains it very succinctly in the thread I linked in post #5 above:

"It penetrates and chemically treats metals to convert the insulative, naturally occurring, oxide coatings to a surface that is a conductor."

I am not trying to convince anyone to use No-Ox, but if you are considering it, it's important to understand how and why it works.

- Jeff
 
I use ACT-6006 and had excellent results. Much may depend on how well your layout is sealed from dust, and the general environment around the layout. The ACT-6006 cleans and leaves a conductive wax on the rails. Once you get this treatment on the rails, don't use alcohol to clean or it will remove the waxes. The conductive wax prevents oxidation of the rails, and also stops the micro arching between the wheels and the rail.

I used to use Wahl Oil or Label 108. Both were okay with DC voltage & current. Both broke down and burned with DCC voltage and currents. I have tried graphite with mixed success. It seems to stop the micro-arching, but did not do much to block rail oxidation. I cannot recommend no-ox or some of the other odd chemical oxidation prevention chemicals. The ACT-6006 is by far the best rail treatment I have found. It was designed for this purpose by the slot car guys.

I also use it to clean the drivers & tender wheels on my steam engines. The improvement is immediate. The engines run so much smoother. I operate a relatively large roster of brass and plastic steam engines, and I can't stand when an engine does not run perfectly. In other words, I am pretty fussy about this stuff. Guys that operate on my railroad also have turned to ACT-6006 because they have seen the results. Your results may vary! :cool:

Bill
 
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Bill: I'll try ACT-6006 for wheel cleaning. I have two bottles and never thought about using ACT-6006 for this purpose.

Greg
 
Bill: This morning I placed the stalling locomotive on my programming track and it stalled in spots. I used the ACT-6006 to clean the wheels on the locomotive that has been stalling. Amazing results.

The locomotive's wheels were previously cleaned with alcohol and appeared to be clean. I used the ACT-6006 and the front truck's wheel left a heavy coating of black grime on the ACT-6006 soaked paper toweling I used for cleaning the wheels. The rear trucks less of a grime deposit, but some residue.

I repeated the process and the locomotive performed and ran flawlessly.

I will use the Masonite pad car cleaner later followed by running just my two CenterLine track cleaning cars' rollers soaked with ACT-6006 for future track cleaning.

Thanks.

Greg
 
I appreciate all the feedback regarding ACT-6006 for track cleaning but I'm more interested in what results everyone has had with No-ox for conductivity and preventing oxidization. The instructions given in earlier posts seem to be the way to go which requires the track to be clean prior to applying No-ox. Sounds like the ACT-6006 is the cleaner to use but then what are the results if No-ox is applied after?
 
Olie: I'm not too sure that you would want to use ACT-6006 as a cleaner prior to applying No-Ox since the ACT-6006 leaves a protective film on the rails and the No-Ox application would remove this protective layer.

I would try and decide on which one of the two products to use and not combine them.

Greg
 
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I appreciate all the feedback regarding ACT-6006 for track cleaning but I'm more interested in what results everyone has had with No-ox for conductivity and preventing oxidization. The instructions given in earlier posts seem to be the way to go which requires the track to be clean prior to applying No-ox. Sounds like the ACT-6006 is the cleaner to use but then what are the results if No-ox is applied after?

I would recommend that you use either ACT-6006 or No-Ox, but not both. In fact I recommend ACT-6006 over No-Ox because it is a more complete product. It addresses both the oxidation issue and the micro-arching issue. No-Ox only deals with the former, and it can be a mess to apply and wipe down.
 



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