Wagon Wheel Cleaning. A few Different Methods. Which is Best?

This episode is a follow on from my first wheel cleaning video.
If you have not seen that one, • Dirty Wheels On Your W...
There were a few other suggestions in the comments of how to clean wheels, I put each one to the test.
Ultra sonic cleaning
Soaking wheel sets in IPA for 3 hours
Sandpaper
Rotary Tool Polishing
See which method wins!
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[@Ianshandle999]

Very informative. For ipa soak, after the soak one wipe of cotton bud soaked in the IPA removes everything…..but I will try the water soak method next time….

[@Shelvington_Railway]

I was genuinely shocked that water worked just as well as IPA! Cheers, Andy

[@monsvillerailways5736]

Good comparisons Andy. IPA or Polish on a cotton bud seems to be the best result. Like you, I'd shy away from sand paper. If you create microscopic grooves in the surface they will fill with muck and make cleaning more of a chore down the track. IPA and a cotton bud seems less harsh and would be my choice. 👍 The ultrasonic cleaner is good for cleaning electrical contacts etc. OO Bill uses one but seems to set his to half an hour for cleaning. Happy modelling

[@Shelvington_Railway]

IPA or Polish I think is the way to go. Certainly for me. Someone suggested T Cut for heavy dirt removal. Interesting about the ultrasonic cleaning. Maybe I just have a cheap and nasty one!! It only has a limited timer. (4 minutes max). I could keep repeating the process, but just a soak in water did the same job for me. Cheers, Andy

[@Ianshandle999]

Very popular in the US is running wheels over ipa soaked kitchen roll on top of the tracks….

[@Shelvington_Railway]

That is a good idea. Cheers, Andy

[@Ianshandle999]

Oftentimes it is a permanent set up on a RIP track@@Shelvington_Railway

[@paulvozman842]

Hi Andy, Thanks for testing these various wheel cleaning methods, the results were very interesting. It appears the best results are from using IPA and polish on cotton buds. The dremel is noisy and cumersome to use. I am surprised the Ultrasonic didnt seem to be very good as they normally break down dirt quite well. Cheers, Paul.👍👍

[@Shelvington_Railway]

Hi Paul. I was genuinely supprised by the ultra sonic cleaner, I really thought that would have worked a lot better. Maybe with a better machine the results would have been different? Maybe if the wheels were left in for longer? I have to be honest, I do find polishing the wheels very relaxing though! Cheers, Andy

[@paulvozman842]

Hi Andy, I ordered a small Ultrasonic cleaner just before your video, I think it will come in handy. I have seen people using Lemon juice in the sonic cleaners which worked well. In the meantime its wheel cleaning the hard way. Cheers, Paul.☝☝

[@Shelvington_Railway]

Hi Paul. Maybe adding a 'cleaning' product to the water would help. I just followed the instructions on mine. It appears to be a direct translation from Chinese to English so there maybe steps missed! Let me know how you get on. Cheers, Andy.

[@ModelRailwayShed]

Great comparisons there Andy, for light cleaning i use cotton pud with IPA. Heavily dirty ones i use T cut on a cotton bud. Really like the ultrasonic cleaner

[@Shelvington_Railway]

Ah yes. T Cut. I remember T Cutting an entire Alfa 147 once! I would have used T Cut if I could get it, but sadly I can't find it here in NZ, well you can but it has to be imported. A 350ml bottle works out to be $146 (About 70 quid!) Cheers, Andy

[@ModelRailwayShed]

@@Shelvington_Railway wow that's expensive 😮

[@ausfoodgarden]

Mostly I just use IPA on cotton buds. If they are really gungy I might try to scrape the buildup off then soak in IPA and rub with a cotton bud. On metal wheels, I have sometimes used a dremel with a brass wire wheel if the IPA doesn't do the job. Of course, clean up with IPA and a cotton bud afterward. I try and avoid abrasives and polishes as far as possible because of micro-scratches. I can't tell you whether what I do is best or even good. Works for me though so that's what matters to me. Cheers!

[@Shelvington_Railway]

Good point about micro scratches. Would a brass wheel leave scratches though? I've not got one, so I can't comment. I really didnt see a difference with soaking the wheels in IPA, as opposed to just going straight in with a cotton bud. The one method that did supprise me though was plain water! I think everyone has their own way and thats important to remember. These wheels were all new to me and in all honesty even my oldest rolling stock's wheels have never looked this bad so I dont imagine these wheels will ever get so dirty again! Thanks for your comments. Cheers, Andy

[@ausfoodgarden]

@@Shelvington_Railway It probably may, but if used gently I'd think it would be better than a sanding wheel or similar. My thinking is brass is a lot softer than steel, so hopefully it will not do much damage.

[@Shelvington_Railway]

Yes. Good point. Brass is a lot softer than steel. Cheers, Andy

[@larrybaughman618]

🤠🖐🚂💨