9V tracks smell of cigarettes

[Jawaguy4]

Hi,

Recently I got some 9V tracks second hand however they reek of cigarette smoke. 

Do any of you guys know how I can clean them without doing any harm to the tracks. 

Thanks

[JopieK]

I would vent it and use alcohol (e.g. IPA / isopropyl alcohol of 'medical' ethanol) for it. Would not hurt your ABS and also not hurt the iron parts. 

[Lazertron]

Holy smokes  Must have been a steamer doing its rounds.

Jokes aside - thanks for the tipp, JopieK

[Toastie]

10 hours ago, JopieK said:

I would vent it and use alcohol (e.g. IPA / isopropyl alcohol of 'medical' ethanol) for it. Would not hurt your ABS and also not hurt the iron parts. 

Yes, very good advice, will definitely work!

Just to be a pain in the butt - isopropyl alcohol is called "medical alcohol" when you get it for unreasonable amounts of money from e.g. a drug store. "Rubbing alcohol" makes it less expensive but it is still the same …

It was just the "ethanol" bit @JopieK: Ethanol is ethanol - and I would rather drink it than rinsing track; particularly in the medical form, always diluted below lets say 40%vol of course. When you do that you may call it Vodka … and I just write these stupid lines because you know so many things about programming and wireless and … and I admire that very much!!!

When you want to go much cheaper and maybe more effective with the cleaning: Use some stuff that removes grease. They are sometimes called "Fett und Nikotinlöser". Forget the nicotine part - its tar. Nicotine is a colorless crystalline compound, not the yellowish smeary stuff. There are so many varieties in the stores. The tar on the track (this is the smelly part) most easily dissolves in strong detergents: Just let them sit in a bowl of water with ample amount of detergent added overnight; then flush with water: Smell ist gone. 

Hey, anyone wants to sign up for the winter semester classes in freshmen chemistry I am teaching starting October

Best
Thorsten  

[pirzyk]

@toastie Just don't drink the medial alcohol in the states, it is denatured.  One of the lasting effects of prohibition.

[MagnusE]

Put it in a airtight box with a small bowl with wihte vinegar in it for a couple of hours.

The white vinegar will draw out all the odor.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

I usually use mild soap and water and then I dry immediately the washed pieces with compressed air 

[Toastie]

16 hours ago, pirzyk said:

@toastie Just don't drink the medial alcohol in the states, it is denatured.  One of the lasting effects of prohibition.

What??? Oh my. That explains it - I lived 4 years in SoCal ...

Well, in Germany "medical ethanol" is of finest quality - uhmm - purity was the word (and you get it in drug stores and the like for an insane amount of money); denaturated ethanol is called "Spiritus" - which cost about a fraction of the medical version. Taxes are high on pure ethanol with good reason of course.

Believe it or not but a 2 m distillation column with a 1:20 reflux ratio … upps - this is entirely off topic!

I am sorry.

Best
Thorsten  

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Not so off topic my friend ...this is a clarification and a good advice to save money ...save money to buy other lego (but this is another story )

[Roadmonkeytj]

Good old fashion hydrogen poroxide (sp?) I would have to look at the bottle but it takes the odor out of the plastics and brightens them.   Just let them soak completely covered overnight (some say 8 hrs in the sun but overnight does just as well) a good warm water rinse towel pat and air dry before use.

 

Tried and tested method.

Edited August 2, 2018 by Roadmonkeytj