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Last Updated: Sep 19, 2007 - 11:39:30 AM |
We all have that one in-law that thinks your hobby is foolish and has on occasion used your prized convertible as an ashtray!
My
brother-in-law, Mortimer, is like that! Hopefully, after reading this
you'll have a better understanding of how to properly care for your
model cars and clean up any accidents. The care tips will also help
your models live a long and productive life, giving you countless hours
of eye pleasure! To deal with people like Mortimer, you'll have to wait
for another article on dealing with in-laws!
Brushes
Why
on earth would anyone need a brush? Ok, how many of you have lost parts
to the dreaded dust rag? I have purchased several brushes whose only
purpose is reserved for dusting. I have a 1" camel hair brush which I
use for general purpose dusting, a large rounded brush for detail work
on interior areas and a brush generally found with electric razors for
the cleaning of dried waxes in hard to reach places.
If
you take a stroll down the makeup isle you'll be able to find all kinds
of things appropriate for your models. Just takes an open mind, that's
all. Make-up brushes are awesome for general-purpose dusting and cost
pennies as compared to a 1" camel hairbrush. A neat trick for stubborn
dust on the inside of the windshield, especially a hardtop model, is to
brush the outside "glass" until a static charge is created. Then all
you need to do is drag the brush over the outside of the "glass" and
the particle clings, right out to the edge.
Vacuum
I'm
not kidding! My wife finds it entertaining when she hears me vacuuming
my little cars. Sometimes she invites the neighbors in to watch!
Computer stores have these neat little battery-powered vacuums. Many,
come with a few attachments. I do not recommend the brush attachments
as they are very stiff and the thick diameter of the intake shaft
prevents any usefulness.
To get around this, go to you local
health supply store, one that carries oxygen. Ask them if they carry
oxygen bubble tubing. If they do, a 1-foot section will last you an
awful long time.You will need to cut a short section of tubing at the
widest part of the bubble - in most cases this will be right in the
middle. Then cut the tubing at the thinnest part. This is the end that
will go into the car. It will be about 6 inches of tubing.
Attach
this to the end of you vacuum unit and you're ready to go. Being soft
and pliable, the tubing will not scratch paint or chrome. You can
easily get into corners of the floor and get at any stubborn dust. I
also do not recommend mini attachments you can get for portable, full
size vacuum units. I had a friend who bought a detail brush kit for his
Eureka and I watched him suck the console, pedals and mirror right out
of a Camaro model! The look on his face was priceless!
Buffing Rags
Any old rag will do...right?
Wrong!
You should be using only 100%
cotton rags to buff your models. Some cotton rags like diapers are
stitched with rayon. Rayon will scratch your model's surface. Art
supply houses offer rolls of 100% cotton wipes, as do some auto supply
houses. Remember; be sure it's all cotton!
Dust Off: This is the
spray air in a can. This can be an effective way to shear parts right
off your models. The burst of air from the can nozzle could probably be
clocked right with the force of a hurricane! My one friend used this
product as well, and now has quite a few good parts cars. I have seen
other collectors that have mastered the trigger and can clean a model
beautifully! Watching them operate the can is like watching a maestro
conduct a symphony. I use Dust-Off when painting bodies. One gentle
blast will get any errant dust off the surface.
Polishes & Waxes
We Use
only waxes or polishes recommended for use on clear coats. They do not
contain any abrasives that can scratch your model's finish. This is
extremely important if you plan on treating a black car to a buffing.
So what do I use? If the car only has a few fingerprints, especially
after eating cheese curls or something similar, I will wipe the car
down with Final Inspection by Meguiars.
NEVER spray product
directly onto a model! I will usually dip a Q-tip into a film container
holding some solution. I blot off any excess and then gently apply to
the surface. I avoid raised edges and silver painted areas as these can
easily rub through. The solution dries to a fine haze. I then wipe the
haze away using a 100% cotton cloth, wrapped around my index finger.
You
need not apply Herculean pressure onto the surface of the model. Light,
gentle pressure will get the haze off. An alternative product is Dry
Wash and Guard made by Enviro-Tech International. Roger Hardnock turned
me onto this product. It's a dri-wash product that contains paint
friendly polymers. Rub in on, let it haze and then wipe it off.
Sometimes
there are stubborn glue marks or even scratches on the surface. To
remove the glue marks, I use a product called Bare Metal Plastic
Polish. Many yeas ago I did an article car for a magazine. In the final
assembly I touched the front fender with my finger. It had superglue on
it and I left a huge glue mark on the fender. I thought the model was
lost. I had nothing to lose and tried everything. The only thing that
worked was the Bare Metal Polish. It dissolved the glue mark and
polished the paint underneath.
For
final waxing I use a non-abrasive Carnauba wax. It's applied with
Q-tips and then gently wiped off. Again, use the same guidelines for
waxing. Avoid high spots and silver painted trim. Also avoid mirrors,
photoetched parts and the edges of chrome body trim.
During the
entire cleaning/waxing process, I wear the supplied cotton gloves. Not
only do they make me feel pretty, they serve the function of preventing
oils from your hands, marring a clean surface. When I'm finished, I put
the gloves in a Zip-Lock bag to protect them from dust and most
importantly, debris that might be around the workbench. Last thing you
need is a fine metal shaving to get imbedded in your gloves and scratch
your finish, inadvertently. I also suggest that you do the same with
your buffing rags.
Another good polish is Novus and it comes in 3 concentrations. I would only suggest that a novice use #1 and #2.
Solvents and other nasty things
Most
Care and Handling booklets tell you not to use solvents of any kind.
They mean it! I've heard of people on the board using Acetone and all
kinds of other things to clean model cars. Two words to those folks...
"You're nuts!" I have repaired many models for friends who decided to
take glue marks off with acetone. ACETONE WILL SOFTEN PAINT....period!
Paul Kravchak uses it to remove tampos. He is a trained professional
and exercises extreme care knowing that the underlying paint can come
off. So unless you're prepared to send your model for a repaint, stay
away from acetone. There will be someone out there who is reading this,
who will say that he's used acetone for years. Well, you've been very
lucky!
Waxes with cleaners are deadly to a model! Avoid them!
They leave fine scratches on a surface of a model. Over time, continued
use will dull the finish right out.
Avoid the use of water on a
model. I say this because certain municipalities have different
restrictions on water quality. If you have a high acid content, number
one-you should be drinking bottled water, but the acid will attack the
model over time. Metal parts will form a crusty, orange coating,
commonly known as rust. I know of at least a few collectors that have
wiped down cars with water only to find that the steering shaft rusted
solid within the plastic collar, making it useless. Yes, they did use a
lot of water, but the point is don't use it! Water quality comes into
play when you start to notice the metal bubbling under your paint. High
acid water gets to the metal through pores in the paint and over time
reacts with it, like acid rain.
Most model chrome is typical
automotive chrome and can be cleaned easily. Sometimes a simple wipe
with a soft cloth will do. Be careful not to use any petroleum based
products on the "other" chrome found on models. This "chrome" is known
as vac-metallized and any petroleum based cleaner or wax will remove
your metallized coating. This coating is common to promo models, model
kit chrome and some cheaper diecast models.
Sunlight, extreme
heat and cold are a model's enemy. Never store your models in an
uninsulated attic. Temperatures can reach highs that will melt rubber
tires, distort plastic and cause paint to eventually bubble. To the
converse, attics can also reach low cold temperatures, too. This
constant expansion and contraction will eventually destroy your model.
Direct sunlight will fade colors on the interior and exterior. Also
avoid exposure to high intensity halogen lights. Some pigments in paint
do not take kindly to this exposure and fade quickly.
I hope
this article answers some of the many questions I've seen on the board
about caring for your models. In no way is this article the definitive
answer. These techniques have worked for me and I've proudly displayed
my models for years and they look like the day I first put them out.
Like your booklet says, "...follow these directions and your model will
be the source of pride for years to come."
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