Getting that nasty dust off your locomotives?

[Mike_Arnold]

Anyone have any good advice on how to remove dust from my locomotives around the detail parts such as Grabs and Horn?

Best regards,
Mike

 

[Selector]

I can tell you what I do, and that it works very well for me. I get a clean artist's brush with soft bristles about 1/2" long, a little longer, and I gently flick it over the whole surface, details and all. Carefully. At the same time I gently blow so that the dust lifted is forced away from me and onto the scenery. Takes about 45 seconds an engine for larger ones, and about 30 seconds for the roof of long passenger cars.

-Crandell

 

[Mike_Arnold]

I can tell you what I do, and that it works very well for me. I get a clean artist's brush with soft bristles about 1/2" long, a little longer, and I gently flick it over the whole surface, details and all. Carefully. At the same time I gently blow so that the dust lifted is forced away from me and onto the scenery. Takes about 45 seconds an engine for larger ones, and about 30 seconds for the roof of long passenger cars.

-Crandell

That sounds like it will do the trick! I'll need to hit up Michael's Crafts or a Hobby Lobby sometime this week. Need to dust all of my locos!

Best regards,
Mike

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I use either a small paint brush or a micro brush vacuum attachment that I recently bought to use with my Shop-Vac. It not only gets the dust off but takes it away so it can't settle on something else.

 

[Rico]

Why would you want to remove all that natural weathering??
Actually I use both of the methods above with great results.

 

[julienjj]

using an air compressor on a medium pressure work too, unless you have powder wethering !

 

[UP2CSX]

A combination of canned air and a soft brush using Crandell's techniques works for me. Don't forget about your structures. Some dust on rolling stock can look like natural weathering, but I've seen many a nice layout shot ruined with dusty looking brick walls and "wood" shingles.