MNCW posted:I tried looking for Turtle Wax Color Back a few weeks ago and I saw several show up on Amazon. Today, I looked and I can't find 1 place where it is in stock. Any ideas?
Tom
I just Googled it. Here you go.
https://www.autobarn.net/turtl...QEAQYASABEgJxCPD_BwE
George
Hi George,
Thanks for looking...I actually had seen that one. When you click on the button to add it to "your cart," there is a message that it is not available.
Tom
This is a fascinating thread. I’d never thought of using automotive polish to clean the enamel paint of a pre war tinplate car. Thank you George S. What a great idea. It’s so logical. The good thing about automotive polishes is that they’re available in different grades. You can start with a mild polish like Turtle Wax, and then if that doesn’t quite do the job, you can select a polish containing extra cutting compound (without going too far!).
Use of this sort of polish might explain something I’ve noticed from time to time with pre war tinplate cars sold online. I’ve sometimes wondered why the badges on the sides of cars seem to be clogged with white powder. Now it makes sense. That’s probably dried polish that hasn’t been fully removed. These photos are not very good examples, but I think you know what I mean.
George S posted:Here is the link.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ma...QL70_&dpSrc=srch
I learned about this from a tinplate dealer in St. Louis, MO.
George
Hah, bet you can't guess where they earned about it ! Its a heavy cut....to heavy for some color and some manufacturers paint. The flyer cars you are using it on are perfect candidates. I would not use it on peacock or mojave ( Dave - green and tan ;-) 
or on Wine colors for Lionel for example.
Rob,
Ya got to love this stuff! Love the Green & Tan AF Rolling stock. ( Peacock & Mojave)
PCRR/Dave
Use of this sort of polish might explain something I’ve noticed from time to time with pre war tinplate cars sold online. I’ve sometimes wondered why the badges on the sides of cars seem to be clogged with white powder. Now it makes sense. That’s probably dried polish that hasn’t been fully removed. These photos are not very good examples, but I think you know what I mean.
Polish always seems to leave tell tale signs such as bits of polish in cracks, crevices and corners. or uneven appearance in those same places where it is difficult to buff away the polish. Careful work will usually address these issues.
I've used Zymol Original Formula Cleaner/Wax on a few pieces with good results.
Pine Creek Railroad posted:Rob,
Ya got to love this stuff! Love the Green & Tan AF Rolling stock. ( Peacock & Mojave)
PCRR/Dave
Dave, You mean Teal and buff?
Firstly, thank you George for starting this topic. It's been very helpful.
I would like to recommend another product for cleaning dirty tinplate. It's Maguiar's Ultimate Compound and it's cutting action seems to be just right - not too harsh and not too gentle. It contains micro-abrasives that seem to work well to remove ingrained dirt from tinplate. I've used aggressive automotive cutting compounds before and they tend to scratch, however I can't see any scratching with this one.
I've done a small test patch on the very left panel of this car.
The cream panel and the black frame really gleam in the light.
I also did a test on the lower left of the roof. Very little rubbing was needed.
... and again with reflected light. It's probably good enough to leave as it is, but they recommend a wax afterwards.
Pine Creek Railroad posted:George George,
You do not want to waste your valuable time messing around getting your hands dirty, please just purchase some new stuff, and box that dirty old Tin stuff up and send it all to me, I will take good care of it, I promise!
PCRR/Dave
Not to worry they will all look similar to this old original Lionel 817 Tin Plate Caboose, and you will be able to see pictures of them, as I post them here on the OGR. Young men like you do not have the time, you need to be working making money that the Government will take, to pay for my SS retirement.
It's 3:19 in the morning, I had to liven the place up a might!
can you hear the sarcasm!!?? 
Anyone ever try WD40 to clean up old tin plate? Thoughts?
I have never tried WD40, but was warned that it should not be used because it could creep between the paint/litho and the tinplate and in the end make things worse.
Regards
Fred
WD40 has a significant amount of solvent in it along with oil. It can remove paint, so be careful. I have used it on brass and nickel to remove tarnish, dirt and corrosion.
George
Lots of people used to suggest WD40 but in the last 20 years that seems to have changed. I do not use it any more for anything. There are many other superior products you can use for cleaning/polishing AND there are much better oils you can use for lubrication needs. I have at times heard of engineering type reasons as to why WD 40 is not an ideal product for our use, but they escape me currently.
For electrical it's bad because it does not dry and thus picks dirt up and then gums. The tube stereo guys swear by other products that clean (DeoxiT it or something similar) and at the same time those products dry with no residue. so contacts stay clean and less likely to grow gunk with use. They also have products that do provide a production to the surface.
The most interesting thing I used to see mentioned was a dirty rag soaked with Liquified Lionel smoke pellet residue. That was supposedly a great product that would lift or pull dirt and debris out of old Lionel paint. Wives tail or not I have no idea, never tried it lol.
One last comment, I do believe the prewar Lionel instruction booklets did suggest to use a good auto wax on the tinplate trains so we are on the right track especially with modern products such as Meguiar's.
Edit, attached the Deoxit spec sheet which you can find on line, but it tells ingredients etc.
George S posted:WD40 has a significant amount of solvent in it along with oil. It can remove paint, so be careful. I have used it on brass and nickel to remove tarnish, dirt and corrosion.
George
I use Brasso a lot for that stuff, but it can be a bit strong especially if the part has a thin plating surface. Nickel plated journals for instance are very delicate. Other thicker parts, can take it and polish up pretty well. WD would probably work well on journals and not hurt them.
I used WD40 on a brass Lionel plate and it did not take the lettering off. I use Brasso too. When it's really bad the WD40 with steel wool gets it done.
I do think WD40 could clean tinplate if you put it on a rag, but so would mineral spirits. I certainly wouldn't start there!
George
Dont use WD40 at all. Its made to disperse water, and leave a coating. Its a terrible lubricant for trains. It can wipe out decoration. It can stop electrical conductivity when dry.
SOOO many reasons.
One thing not mentioned here (I think) is to test clean a tiny area to see if there is a reaction. Some paint use can use lacquer thinner on, others can't stand water even.
Well ok George, am gonna eat some crow here...
I broke down. Recently got a Lionel 613,614,615 set in Terra Cotta/Maroon with the right amount of patina for my liking. Of course the lighting at the train show was not optimal and once home was bummed with the amount of ground in grease. No amount of soap/water and rubbing would touch that grease and was getting to the point of stop before real damage is done! So...weapon of choice was the Mequiars Ultimate Compound -what a difference! Followed up with a coat of regular turtle wax since it's recommended by Mequiar and should help keep out future dirt. Not saying I'd do this all the time but for the ground in grease -was the option especially after seeing Dennis's photos.
By the way, the compound worked great on the yellow and terra cotta but no way was trying on the maroon. Used the paste wax for that and worked fine.
John
That’s right John! At that point, it’s not patina. It’s just dirty. You did the right thing.
George
Holy crap....BURFLE
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