Mineral spirits as track cleaning fluid?

[rray]

What's the difference between Isopropyl Alcohol and Denatured Alcohol?  I keep 70% and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol around.  I sure don't want to use the 91% to clean the track, as it will take the paint off.  Will Denatured Alcohol take paint off?  Is it better than 70% Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning track for any reason?

Thanks,
DFF

Denatured alcohol will take many paint's off. It's 3 kinds of alcohol, and virtually residue free. It's great at removing sharpie ink too!

Isopropyl alcohol can remove some paint depending on percentage. Also, a recipe we used in the chip factories, is to mix (we got 97% Iso in the fabs) DI water 70% with 30% Iso to make glass or Saftey Glasses cleaner. I do not know why, but Isopropyl will leave a cloudy residue unless diluted with water.

Do the test at home yourself, mix your 70% at 50/50 with distilled or purified water safe for a steam iron, effectively making 35% Iso out of it and clean the bathroom mirror, Now try using 70% Iso to clean that already cleaned mirror, and you will have cloudy residue.

The 35% Iso will also clean your track well, better than the 70% does.

Also, I had watched a video last year about a guy who kept his layout basement clean using an electrostatic air purifier. He claimed he has not cleaned his track, not had dust all over his scenery for years because he runs the electrostatic air purifier all the time.  I researched those air purifiers and found that they do in fact work that well, but they also release harmful Ozone gas, so should not be used.  I did also find out that a HEPA filter type air purifier would also work, if you don't mind the expense of changing those filters a couple times a year.

When I am finishing my future layout room, I plan on including 24/7 HEPA filtering, in addition to a 24/7 mini split heat exchanger (for temp stability to prevent track issues) because after 5-10 years, your layout scenery will get dusty and ugly if you don't do something about it. I figure that if I spent the cost of 5 or 6 Z Scale locomotives on layout room prep for the long term, it would be money well invested.

[C855B]

Track cleaning is right up there with religion and politics as heated topics.

The chemistry issue is "polar" (protic) vs. "non-polar" (aprotic) solvents, which relates how the hydrogen atoms are bound to the solvent molecule. The missing word at the top of the chart is "Dielectric"; the dielectric constant relates to the strength of the hydrogen bond. I recall reading about the La Mesa club's switch a while back, prompted by a professional chemist member advocating that non-polar solvents would work better. The chart lists in order of most non-polar to most polar, the top section is aprotic solvents, the middle is semi-protic, and the bottom are protic solvents.

The upshot to me is a high-sounding but total misuse of science, with verifiable, reproduceable "proof" nowhere to be found. Everybody's track cleaning problem is different, depending on the mix of oxidation, dust, wheel gunk (plastic wheelsets), over-lubed locos, skin oils, dog drool, mouse pee  ... you name it. IOW, there are simply too many permutations to label one method as "best" for everyone.

My mantra in 50 years of MRR (...competent and experienced model train guys...) has been whatever is most effective with least potential for damage given the "anything goes" on a layout as far as materials and finishes. As Dave @davefoxx pointed out, IPA is hell on painted track - we strip loco shells with it, right? - and even 70% is going to have a cumulative effect. Mineral spirits leaves an oily residue, attracting dust, and traction issues. It also attacks certain plastics, something you may not notice in a week or a year, but how about after 10 years? That all said, from the onset I have used "safe for plastics" non-lubricating contact cleaners used in electronics service. These are primarily naphtha with small amounts of surfactants, so a tip-o'-the-hat there to the lighter fluid fans.

So what's "best"? Try whatever appeals to you on your layout and you be the judge in your setting, just be mindful of the damage potential and safety issues such as skin absorption and flammability.

[NtheBasement]

Father, it has been a year since my last track cleaning.

I use the Linn Westcott No-Ox-ID method.  It is a mystery to me how it works, but it is ridiculously better then isopropyl.  I tried clipper oil once, didn't seem better than isopropyl.

I followed these instructions to the letter: https://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?18676-Track-cleaning-Linn-Westcott-and-No-Ox

[MK]

I thought mineral spirits is a degreaser so why would it leave an oily film behind?  Everytime I use it for something, without gloves, it turns my skin white on my hands as it removes all the oils.

[NDave]

What's the difference between Isopropyl Alcohol and Denatured Alcohol?  I keep 70% and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol around.  I sure don't want to use the 91% to clean the track, as it will take the paint off.  Will Denatured Alcohol take paint off?  Is it better than 70% Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning track for any reason?

Thanks,
DFF

Isopropyl alcohol is a 3 carbon alcohol with the formula CH3-CH2OH-CH3 (the hydroxyl OH  is on the middle carbon). Denatured alcohol is ethanol (a 2C alcohol CH3-CH2OH) to which something has been added to make it poisonous, bad smelling, and or bad tasting. Examples of additives in denatured alcohol include methanol or isopropyl alcohol.

[jereising]

And just to confuse matters more...

I read that MRH article and went with mineral spirits for maybe a year and a half.  It was OK, didn't notice more or less residue when cleaning. 

(I use a series of roller cars - the first puts the fluid on, the followers have dry rollers and get the residue.)

Then I went back to Goo Gone and was amazed at how much crud was on the rollers.  I figure if the crud is on the rollers it's not on the track.

Say what you want, I'll stay with Goo Gone.  And it smells better...

[muktown128]

Mineral spirits is a blend of aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds.  It is a slower evaporating solvent compared to naptha or heptane.  Mineral spirits may clean better than alcohol because it is more similar chemically to grease and crud on the tracks than alcohol and would solubilize or dissolve the residue on the tracks better (like dissolves like).  I personally would not use mineral spirits because it is slow evaporating, unless I used something to wipe or dry off the track afterwards. 

[mmagliaro]

I've used mineral spirits and laquer thinner.  Both clean the track faster and better than alcohol, but the odor is so horrible that I rarely do it anymore.  As for filters and dust, I just use a soft paint brush to brush everything off and vacuum it all to keep the scenery looking fresh.  Yes, it's tedious, and I have a relatively small layout, so I can get away with this method.  But I agree, for anything larger, you need to have some system of either always keeping the layout covered when not in use, or massive air filtration, or after years of use, it's going to be almost impossible to get rid of all the dust.

[MichaelWinicki]

Have used mineral spirits for several years now... I rarely clean the track and rarely have conductivity issues.

[mrhedley]

 I did also find out that a HEPA filter type air purifier would also work, if you don't mind the expense of changing those filters a couple times a year.

With the air exchange rates I suspect you would be seeing in a side stream filtration unit (and not a whole house filter installed in your furnace/central air system) you would certainly not need to replace filters that frequently.  I managed the HVAC maintenance department at a large university hospital and we replaced HEPA filters in our systems on the average of every five years, this for systems that were providing air exchanges at 20 air changes per hour.  Placing a disposable standard efficiency filter (MERV 7, or "30/30" in the normal world) will remove the larger particulate matter and extend the life of the HEPA filter.  Considering the cost (a few dollars for a MERV 7 vs. roughly $50 per square foot of filter for a HEPA) it would be a wise decision, even if the device wasn't designed to accept one and you had to duct tape it to the intake. 

[Steveruger45]

Father, it has been a year since my last track cleaning.

I use the Linn Westcott No-Ox-ID method.  It is a mystery to me how it works, but it is ridiculously better then isopropyl.  I tried clipper oil once, didn't seem better than isopropyl.

I followed these instructions to the letter: https://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?18676-Track-cleaning-Linn-Westcott-and-No-Ox

This.   Me too.   Works for me.

[peteski]

I've used mineral spirits and laquer thinner.  Both clean the track faster and better than alcohol, but the odor is so horrible that I rarely do it anymore. 

Aren't  mineral spirits (I believe called White Spirits in UK) the same, or similar, to the paint thinner from the hardware store?
If that is the case, how about using odorless paint thinner?

[peteski]

And just to confuse matters more...

I read that MRH article and went with mineral spirits for maybe a year and a half.  It was OK, didn't notice more or less residue when cleaning. 

(I use a series of roller cars - the first puts the fluid on, the followers have dry rollers and get the residue.)

Then I went back to Goo Gone and was amazed at how much crud was on the rollers.  I figure if the crud is on the rollers it's not on the track.

Say what you want, I'll stay with Goo Gone.  And it smells better...

The dark colored residue is present even on freshly cleaned, pristine nickel silver track.  Just rub a piece of paper over the clean railhead, and you will see dark streaks.  Paper is mildly abrasive, so it removes minute amount of metal/oxide from the rail surface.

 I believe that most of that crud we find on the rails is very finely powdered nickel silver metal, or its oxide.  Maybe someone on this forum has means to do a chemical analysis of that crud. That would be enlightening.

[Point353]

If that is the case, how about using odorless paint thinner?

Finally, the opportunity for a Bob Ross tie-in.

[davefoxx]

Finally, the opportunity for a Bob Ross tie-in.

Sweet!  Bob Ross used to love washing the brush by dipping it in odorless thinner, shaking off the excess, and then "beating the devil out of it." 

DFF