Pumpkin Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Hey guys, I am wondering what do you guys do, to keep the dust away from your model. Glass cabinet can by no means do the job. The normal practise is to place a glass of water in the cabinet? That doesn't seem to be effective for me. I am not too sure about the place you're staying. In Singapore, dust is the one modeller's worst nightmare. If you have, by any chance, designed and made a near-100%, dust-proof display cabinet, I would like to see it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 How do I deal with the dust? Surrender all hope. The few models on my ceiling are coated with it on the upper surfaces. I have a ceiling fan, you see. It sends air (and dust) up and around and down the walls, thus my models are coated on the upper surfaces horribly. The upside is I don't get to see it often!!! For my other models -- I stick them on shelves and in nooks and crannies. I have a large painting brush (bristles 1" long 1/2" wide) that I use to gently dust models. Some are just magnets. My PM 1/48 Me110G-2 is just a magnet, whilst my Italeri 1/72 JAS-39 hardly ever gets any. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Josu Arévalo Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 This might sound a nonsense.... but... there is one way to get dust out of the cabinets... this trick is used in electrical cabinets (you know in fabrics and so on) to isolate and prevent exterior air going inside the cabinet. They use a pressurized cabinet the trick is pressurizing the cabinet with compressed air trying to achive a bigger pressure inside the cabinet than outside, this way dust will not get in. Yesss I know, this is expensive and not very easy to do.... but with some funs exhausting air from the cabinet to the exterior might as well do the trick!!! Hope this could be usefull to you!!! Josu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Irishfan Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 ;) Only things I have done is display cases, and for planes on the ceiling, a can of air once in a while, other than this, the battle must be fought against the dust bunnies :) take care and happy modeling George Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Corsair69 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 This is gonna sound completely crazy but I have used this method to cut down on the dust problem with my models.... I have always had a bad dust problem where I live (god only knows why..lol) and I got talking to a friend of mine that is a Computer Tech guy and he told me about a spray they use on computer hardware to cut down on the static electricity (which is one of the major reasons EVERYTHING collects dust). It cuts down on the attraction that most surfaces have to dust.... You can use the following mix that he gave to me: ANTISTATIC SPRAY: 1/4 cup commercial liquid fabric softener 1/4 cup ammonia 2 cups water You can, of course, make a much smaller batch of it but keep the ratios the same. Here's what I do....most of my models get a coat of Future after I have done everything possible to it (painting, weathering....ect..). Once that coat of Future has completely dried (I give it a week just in case), I make up a small batch of this stuff and then I get a lint-free rag just slightly wet with this solution and I wipe down my model carefully. No need to rub this stuff in...just lightly wipe with the rag and let it dry. It has never affected the finish on my models as far as I can see and the dust problem is nill.....I will dust my models once a month (maybe) and re-apply some of this stuff and it has really cut down on the dust gathering abilities of my models....lol Just be sure that you have a good solid coat of dried Future on your model before you try this...I'm sure if the Ammonia or Fabric Softener got down to the paint, you would have some serious problems..... There are also any number of Anti-Static sprays on the market but I have never used any of them and cannot recommend them. Hope this helps.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jane Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Guys I haven't tried this yet, since I'm planning to move into my new house in a couple of month, I was thingking of installing the exhaust fan on my display case, the point is to suck all the air out, maybe you guys have better idea ? please... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 No, no, no, you want to pump air in. Just a small amount, so that when you open them you get a gentle breeze. However, I think you have to put a filter on the intake vent so that you don't pump dust in. Pumping the air out is going to create more dust, methinks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Dani Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 ANTISTATIC SPRAY:1/4 cup commercial liquid fabric softener 1/4 cup ammonia 2 cups water Sounds very interesting. What is fabric softener exactly? What is it intented for and what's the brand name? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 It's a laundry item. You use it on clothes. It's fairly common. I'm guessing you need the liquid type, and not the dryer sheet type... Or am I thinking of something else? Oh well, regardless, you need the liquid type if you're going to mix it. If they're all liquid, you're good to go. If there's non-liquid dryer sheets, don't get them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jnick Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 What about the Aresol can of Air that people use to blow dust out of the inside of their computers? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pumpkin Posted October 22, 2003 Author Share Posted October 22, 2003 Hey guys, thanks for the input! Some very great ideas you have back there. Well....., I am kinda lazy with maintenance. Furthermore, I'm afraid, a monthly dusting, will increase the chances of freak accidents. Josu, the pressurized carbinet is indeed expensive. I was hoping to custom make a glass carbinet with 'sealant' door. Like those on the refrigerator! I was thinking, if that can keep the freezing temperatures inside the refrigerator, it should be able to keep dust out. ;) Just a thought. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Call it weathering... As far as ventilating a cabinet, the clean room in a microchip plant works by exhausting the air through the floor and having the incoming air pass through HEPA filters up near the ceiling on the way in. It isn't positive pressure, they just filter all incoming air. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Here's another aspect of the matter. We're talking about the massive amounts of dust that collect on un-protected models. Well, if you put it in a glass case, and close that case, you're ONLY going to get a certain amount of dust. Why? Because there's no circulation in the cabinet. There's no new dust coming in to settle down. What's in there is in there. It keeps out the rest. I think that alone might do it. Just clean out the glass case as much as you can, use the anti-static stuff on the model, and close the case. Once the stuff settles (it's not going to settle on the model now, it has anti-static spray on it) it'll stay put. Viola. No more dust. Of course if you want to open it up frequently and move the models or add new ones or take out old ones, this won't work. It only works if you don't open the case. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FJ55Mike Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Speaking of dust, I think i'm going to cry... Had a water leak in my ceiling, and have hired a contractor to fix it. This contractor was also going to repair the sheet rock, starting tomorrow. Well, off I went to work, expecting the contractor to be just working in the attic. Much to my chagrin and dismay, when I got home I noticed that they also took out the damaged sheetrock.... in the room where I keep my models. As I thought that they were going to do the sheetrock tomorrow, I hadn't moved the models out of the room...now there's a layer of dust on everything in the entire room, including all my open cockpits. I think i'm going to go cry now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mark M. Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 CANNED AIR! STAT! STAT, MAN!!!! Run your airbrush over it all, if you have one, high PSI (i.e. 30-40 psi), might help with the cockpits. Sorry to hear that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cadfael Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 If you don't mind giving your model a regular dusting, or for those areas with delicate details, you can try using camera lens cleaning brushes. There are static brushes, blower brushes (they have a bulb on the end you squeeze to help blow dust off) and even mini-vacuums. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 As I thought that they were going to do the sheetrock tomorrow, I hadn't moved the models out of the room...now there's a layer of dust on everything in the entire room, including all my open cockpits. Compressor (or air tank) and airbrush in one hand, vaccuum cleaner in your other hand. Spray models and surrounding area with airbrush (set the pressure high enough to stir up the dust, but low enough that you're not causing damage), and hold the vaccuum nozzle in the air, over the models, to suck up the resulting dust clouds. You don't want to be actually vaccuuming the models, so don't be holding it particularly close to, or pointing directly at them, you just want to suck up the dust you'll be kicking up. It'll probably be tedious, it'll probably be time consuming, but it should do the trick. You'll probably want to empty the dust collector before starting though, on the off chance you suck up a model part. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Josu Arévalo Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Pumpkin:Josu, the pressurized carbinet is indeed expensive. I was hoping to custom make a glass carbinet with 'sealant' door. Sure It is expensive...but you could think of it as 'aftermarkets' jejeje (just joking :P ) Making a glass case to put your models inside could be a nice-protected way to avoid dust, as one has written. Just make the case with glass, try to clean it with an antiesthatic product, seal it except in one little corner and finally extract 'all the inside air' with a syringe or something........ finally try to seal that small corner fast in order to have little air in it. Hope again this trick should be easy and cheaper!!! Josu Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pumpkin Posted October 23, 2003 Author Share Posted October 23, 2003 Mark, Thanks for the advice, I didn't really think of that. Cadfael, that is some neat equipment. I will check them out. :P Jose, I will do those that you have listed. But I still pondering what to use to extract 'all the inside air'..... jnick, the 'Aresol can of Air that people use to blow dust out of the inside of their computers'...you have mentioned. I am not familiar with the item. Will check out the DIY shop. But I hope that will not react with the paint work. :D Keep the ideas coming, guy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FJ55Mike Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Thanks Mofo and Mark, the airbrush is a good idea. It'll be a few days before I get around to it, though. i got a call at about 7:30 from the contractor, telling me that he needed to remove my entire ceiling, and that he forgot to call me yesterday. He'll be over at 9:00 am. So I had an hour and a half to take down the 30 or so models that I had hanging from my ceiling, move the computer, the stereo, etc, plus get ready for work. This has been one of those weeks where I just want to curl up in the fetal position and cry myself to sleep. I think that once things return to normal, I'm going to invest in a glass display cabinet, similar to this one: except not quite so big. Anyone know where to get one? Cheers, Mike P.S. Sorry to Eli Raphael for using this picture, But it's the only example I could find. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pumpkin Posted October 24, 2003 Author Share Posted October 24, 2003 Hi Mike, glad to hear that everything is getting back to normal. Where is your location? Here in Singapore, many of the ready-made display glass cabinet has very large gaps potential for air (dust) circulation. Be it the hinge type or the sliding door type. Custom made cabinet might cost more, but you really enjoy the control to have it, in the most appropriate way to suit your need. Just to share with you my observation. If the number of display shelf is fix, that is one undesirable. If those are the unadjustable type, more than often, you will find the interval height between them are too big for a normal 72 and 48 scale, as they're usually meant for wine bottle. With that, a lot of space is wasted. Well, hope that helps. Happy hunting for your cabinet. :P Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kasatka Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 put a small drop of machinery oil inside your glass cabinet somewhere not visible for eyes place dust will be collected on this drop. it works like a magnet this is very old methods but it works very good Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mobiledeath Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Hi Mike,glad to hear that everything is getting back to normal. Where is your location? Here in Singapore, many of the ready-made display glass cabinet has very large gaps potential for air (dust) circulation. Be it the hinge type or the sliding door type. Custom made cabinet might cost more, but you really enjoy the control to have it, in the most appropriate way to suit your need. Just to share with you my observation. If the number of display shelf is fix, that is one undesirable. If those are the unadjustable type, more than often, you will find the interval height between them are too big for a normal 72 and 48 scale, as they're usually meant for wine bottle. With that, a lot of space is wasted. Well, hope that helps. Happy hunting for your cabinet. :P Pumpkin, you Singaporean too? Why not use duct tape or masking tape to seal up the gaps after clearing out the air in the cabinet? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jane Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 Kasatka, what kind of machinery oil you use ? Is it the engine oil (for motorcar) or just plain Singer oil (Used on sewing machine), can I put it on the container ? Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kasatka Posted October 24, 2003 Share Posted October 24, 2003 I use oil for sewing machines. It's right on the surface of my shelf in order to make it easy for dust to stuck in there.. I think a container will litle bit obstruct dust collection Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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