Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hi folks. I'm just getting back into collecting and displaying my 1/18th and 1/32nd
scale stuff again after having it in storage for a few years. These are all out of box
and a little dusty from storage (I hung them from the ceiling in my storage area).

Any tips or tricks on cleaning them up and keeping them clean after I put them in
my new model room?

Thanks

Pull out that vacuum every week. lol

flyboy_fx wrote:Pull out that vacuum every week. lol

Yeah, that's about where I'm at right now. Tomorrow I'm picking up ten of them
and I'm going to start the "restoration"/ cleaning work on them. I'm thinking that
between some CAREFUL vacuum work and a little time blowing them off with my
airbrush that I'll be able to get them "pretty" without too much hassle (?)

EDIT: Just looking at my post title I guess that that term ("Dust free") sounds
a little optimistic lol. I probably should've asked..."How do you clean these things?"

I stick them in the shower and hose them off. Works great unless a custom model is not sealed (I seal mine, but it usually is not a problem) or if a vehicle has pigments applied. That is about it. All the stock 21st stuff can get wet without any problems. It does help to towel dry them to avoid water marks.

flyboy_fx wrote:I stick them in the shower and hose them off. Works great unless a custom model is not sealed (I seal mine, but it usually is not a problem) or if a vehicle has pigments applied. That is about it. All the stock 21st stuff can get wet without any problems. It does help to towel dry them to avoid water marks.

I never even thought about THAT....Thanks!

I've been using an indoor leaf blower by Metrovac called the DataVac Electric Duster. It works a little too well. Much to my heartbreak, it has made several machine guns and antenna masts disappear on some of my 1/72 scale planes. I would say it is relatively 1/35 and 1/18 scale safe.

I'll use Scotch Magic Tape to lift dust and fingerprints of plastic canopies and windshields. Again, use caution, avoid paint and decals.

I use a large size Paint Brush with soft bristles.
Gently brush all over and it gets in the hard to reach angles.
Wouldn't a vacuum cleaner suck up any loose parts?.
I can imagine emptying a bag of filth on the floor to find a small MG mount

Aslav wrote:I use a large size Paint Brush with soft bristles.
Gently brush all over and it gets in the hard to reach angles.
Wouldn't a vacuum cleaner suck up any loose parts?.
I can imagine emptying a bag of filth on the floor to find a small MG mount

I have done exactly that to recover a Stuka antenna.

Brushes work too. I bought a cheap natural hair make up brush set from Target. Synthetic have more of a potential to scratch.

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

I use that canned air stuff (normally used for cleaning computers) which gets a lot of the dust off, then switch to a light feather-duster to remove what the canned air won't. On occasion I'll wash the non-customized models in water - which works the best for making things look brand new.

My wife turned me on to the cosmetic brushes used to put blush on. Pick them up in the drug store. Can't get anything softer and they come in many sizes for figures of vehicles.

I keep my house hermetically sealed and maintain a vacuum by using air locks to enter and egress. The kids complain about the hazmat suits, but I'm sure they will adjust over time.

I also use a make up brush.

Very soft, and gets into all the hard to reach places.

I use a combination of that "Swiffer" Duster which is refillable, a make-up brush and canned air to clean all my delicate built models, let alone my 1/18th collectables.

Of course I dust with the conventional stuff under and around but using this method I have never broke anything at all.











~ Jeff

I prefer to leave the dust on.

After a period of time the thickness builds up making a protective barrier .

I made a force field created with secret technology obtained from space aliens. It works fantastic except now when I go to touch them I get zapped with some kind of alien spray. Maybe that’s why my face has turned green? I would just stick with some compressed air. It will keep your face from turning green.

Nylon feather duster, made by Swifter Duster.

On those rare occassions when I worry about dust.

After all military vehicles are made to be dirty and a coating of dust is simular to dirt.

In my entire military career, the only time I washed my vehicles was overseas when I would use a washpoint, usually in a river, manned by little people looking for a couple of bucks. The dirt only stayed off for a day anyway.

TTT

Well once again, thanks for all the tips (And the funny responses) folks I just got ten of my older 1/18th planes home and they DO need a bit of attention before I try and re-hang them.

TTT, I'm hip man 'bout the only time my rides are ever "clean" is the hour
after hitting the wash rack at the Motor Pool. Overseas last deployment we didn't
even try with all the junk ("Moon dust") swirling in the air 24/7.

Sorry, I forgot the "treadheads" washing mud from tracked vehicles. While I was in Fort Hood, I remember the gangs of guys with fire hoses blasting those vehicles at wash racks.

I guess we could try that but our 1/18 tanks would not hold up....

TTT

Paint brush on one hand and a vacuum hose on the other.