Hello,

Am wondering what people do to clean up greasy finger marks etc. on plastic models after they have been built and PE etc. added. [Assuming the plastic kit and all the PE parts have been washed/cleaned prior to building.] What are other options if your built kit was put together not only with plastic cement but with CA glue also? Rinsing in water (plus some detergent) would weaken the CA glue bonding the photoetch....

Cheers,

Richard

Are you talking about prior to painting? I like to use a Q-Tip dipped in alcohol to lightly go over the model. Be sure not to leave strands of cotton. I have also used nail polish remover. Do not staurate the model with the "solvent" when doing this. Just get the swab damp.

If you are talking about a model that is getting dusty and full of finger prints from handling on the shelf after it was completed there are a couple steps in cleaning them. I first blow the heavy dust off with my breath. I then use a very soft brush to get the rest of the dust off. ( I have acquired a rouge application brush for this and it works great) If any prints / dust / grime remain, I then use a soft 1/4 inch paint brush with some soapy water. Make sure the soap is of a gentle type. Just add a little soap to a bowl of water, mix well and then dip the brush into it. Then carefully scrub the area in question. You can rinse with clean water on the same brush. Use a lint free soft cloth or paper towel to blot the model dry.

What 19k said are good tips. I have found that can air (the kind you use to clean your computer keyboard) works great for models that are dusty post build and painted, i.e., display pieces.

If you are refering to post build, pre paint, what are you putting your hands in man!! :-)

Just kidding!

Seriously, if you keep your hands relatively clean during the build, a light brushing with some alcohol is all you should need if that. The key to the excess glue is to go sparingly in the first place! However, if you should happen to get glue someplace that you don't want it, don't do anything right away. CA (super glue) sands fairly easily once it kicks and hardens, just be careful not to sand off detail. And to answer another of your questions, water and detergent will not affect super glue at all.

Thanks guys for the help.

I did mean post build and pre paint.

I will keep my hands as clean as possible during building and minimize the need for cleaning.

But I will also try alcohol with Q-tips and light rinse with water/detergent. I was under the impression that water weakens CA bonds--will experiment on this with scrap before dunking a built model in water!

Thanks and Happy Holidays!,



Richard

The majority of my models get mounted to a base, so finger prints etc aren't a problem if people just handle the base.....
for dust, etc.... I just fire up the compressor and blow the dust off..... haven't damaged anything that way..... yet!

for the dust i take out my trusted buddy the 150 from badger and its fellow mate the pressure regulator and spray as needed
Frank

get a box of the disposable hospital gloves, make sure the size is a tight fit for you, and then it helps keeping parts clean during work and keeps hands clean too


reb