Another safe way to get the wax off is a bath in Bestine (a rubber cement thinner), a few hours in it should do. I've tried it on multiple FUD things with good success.
In recent trials I've used Goo Gone. Another product I've not yet tried, but appears very well suited is De-Solve It, specially formulated to remove wax and other grimes. First a quick wash/scrub in warm soapy water to get the large globs of wax off. Next a full slow scrub being generous with Goo Gone. Rinse the brush periodically to remove the removed wax so you're not just spreading it around. Finally, another wash/scrub in warm soapy water. This process takes less than 5 minutes per model. Also, a note about soaps. You want to stick with dish soaps and detergents and avoid hand/skin soaps. Many skin soaps contain water proofing agents that can make painting a nightmare.
I saw the Alco S4 on Shapeways, great looking model. What chassis fits it? EDIT: And I just noticed the thread about said model, I feel silly.
Thanks! The shell fits the mechanism from a Life-Like SW9/1200. I started a longer discussion about it over here (http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?142770-Printing-an-ALCO) - if you are curious
Guys, this stuff is fantastic, amazing and all that. All who are working with this hi-tech process are really laying the ground work for the future. I wonder what the manufacturers of N scale trains are saying to themselves? Maybe it is time for them to be developing equuipment with this process. Some of them may be experimenting with it. IMHO, it is about to come to the point if they snooze they are going to lose. Any thoughts ? Carl
matthew,a little off topic,but i thought you might be interested in the scratch built d&sl mallet in the may/june issue of the narrow guage gazette,since it is your favorite loco. it is large scale outdoor loco and looks nice. on topic,i have a prr lines west tender shell to retro fit on a bachman medium tender drawn in sketchup 8. need to run it thru netfabb if i can figure that out. if i have any problems,can i contact you for advice? skipp
I can't speak for anyone else (and I suppose I'm a strange case with my obscure prototype), but I for one don't have plans to buy anything other than trucks/mechanisms from the big names from here on out.... Sure thing! Just send me a PM
I have an ultrasonic cleaner for jewelry,glasses, cd's, dvd's etc. The one I have uses plain tap water , is this the one to use for the first step ? I assume more cleaning is needed after soaking in the ultrasonic bath ? Randy
OK, post dissapeared into electron bath...try again.... I got the Barnhart kit, soaked it in Bestine. The smaller parts came out great but the boiler - with a much larger and thicker cross-section, came out part white and part clear and the clear part still has a surface on it that can be scraped. Is there a problem? I put it back in, but nothing is happening.... Does that mean the Bestine is 'tapped out' or does that mean something else has gone haywire here?
I looked at the new Kato C-62 for the possibility of using it for North American Prototypes. The problem is that the new "Kaizanized" version is hopelessly complicated like the Daylight. I didn't even attempt to disassemble it....it is a Chinese puzzle. Another problem is that it is 1/160 scale for some reason...the original version (and the Micro-Ace) was 1/150 to more closely match the prototype to the JNR 3'-6" track gauge. While the old one was about the same size as a Con-Cor NYC J3A Hudson, the new one is more the size of a small Pacific. I was hoping Kato could use the mech for a K4, but the drivers are way too small. I like the reliability and simplicity of the old style semi-split frame w/weight of the original Kato and current Micro-Ace steamers. Charlie Vlk Railroad Model Resources
I use hot tap water and sometimes a drop of dish soap. Generally I just alternate between rinses under the faucet and cycles in the cleaner (I probably go through 7-10 repeats all told). It's usually fairly obvious when you've removed the majority of the wax - the water will remain clear after the cycle, the model will be opaque when dried and it will no longer have a "slippery" feel on it's flat surfaces. Hmm that sounds odd... I've never used Bestine, so I don't know how much I can help you there, but does the part still feel slippery/waxy? If you leave it on a piece of paper overnight (in a warmish place) does a residue soak into the paper? If so then you likely have wax left. If not then I'd think it might be okay to paint it. Again though, I've never used the Bestine...
Another suggestion for a steam locomotive that would be great is a NYC L3a Mohawk based on the B-man heavy mountain chassis. That would be a winner in my book.
