Model Railroading > CMX Track Cleaner Question

For those that have one....what do you do once you are done using it? I had great results with my first use of the car/paint thinner. Do I empty it out? Clean it? No instructions provided for post use. 

Thanks,
RN

Paint thinner is too harsh. Nothing stronger than rubbing alcohol. Just enough to dampen the wiper not enough to have anything dripping off.

While I appreciate the feedback. Paint thinner has worked for me very well. I am only soliciting cleaning advice for the CMX car itself as to not damage it. Please dont take this the wrong way. 

RN

fbe Wrote:
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> Paint thinner is too harsh. Nothing stronger than
> rubbing alcohol. Just enough to dampen the wiper
> not enough to have anything dripping off.

Paint thinner is also not the safest stuff to be using inside if it is carbon-based...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

I usually empty mine, and I only use rubbing alcohol.

The CMX car is a great product.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think paint thinner will eventually disintegrate your plastic ties.  I use denatured alcohol.  It all evaporates, leaving no film, and it isn't dangerous if you don't have fire in the room  And you an leave any leftover alcohol in the tank until you fill it again.  Just shut all the caps.

Paint thinner may dissolve or distort plastic ties and switch components. It leaves a residue which reduces traction and electrical connectivity. This residue transfers to locomotive and freight car wheels. This will cause dirt to stick to rails and wheels bringing the need to clean rails and wheels.





dal3294 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While I appreciate the feedback. Paint thinner has
> worked for me very well. I am only soliciting
> cleaning advice for the CMX car itself as to not
> damage it. Please dont take this the wrong way. 
>
> RN
>
> fbe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Paint thinner is too harsh. Nothing stronger
> than
> > rubbing alcohol. Just enough to dampen the
> wiper
> > not enough to have anything dripping off.

We have two of them at our club and use them with Alcohol.  (cheaper and safer than thinner).  In 5 years we've never drained them and only a few times did we have to clean out the needle hole.  We also use corduroy for the pad,  I bought a yard at Joann's and it's lasted for years.  We follow the CMX with a Centerline roller cleaner also using corduroy on the roller. This helps pick up the fluid and dirt that the CMX breaks loose.

Mike Stewart
Oakley, CA

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> I usually empty mine, and I only use rubbing
> alcohol.
>
> The CMX car is a great product.

For what it's worth, Joe Fugate at MRH magazine had the following to say:

"Field testing on this speaks volumes. The La Mesa club uses mineral spirits alone to clean their rails using a CMX car followed by 3 Centerline cars to do the wiping. Yes, that leaves a slight mineral spirits residue -- but that's a non-polar residue, which is what you want.Cleaning the rails *after* the mineral spirits with 90% alcohol leaves the track bone dry and with a polar charge to the metal molecules, which encourages micro-arcing and causes the oxides to build up more quickly."