Rail Dust??

[Poki]

I have seen this term in posts....what's "rail dust"??

[Murr1525]

Re: Rail Dust??

When cars are shipped by rail, bits of the steel rails and wheels are thrown up into the air. Of course they land on everything around them, so you can get little metal specks, which become little rust specks, on your new car.

This could also happen being parked near rails, or bits falling off a rusty shipping container, etc....

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Rail Dust??

This explains is:

http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/reference/troubleshooting_guide/rail_dust/index.cfm

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Rail Dust??

When cars are shipped by rail, bits of the steel rails and wheels are thrown up into the air. Of course they land on everything around them, so you can get little metal specks, which become little rust specks, on your new car.

This could also happen being parked near rails, or bits falling off a rusty shipping container, etc....

Or the nasty stuff that comes off snow plow blades.

[Murr1525]

Re: Rail Dust??

Well, you can get flecks of metal from many places... parking in an industrial center and getitng fallout is also posisble...

I guess I was trying to say people will often be reffering to the problem cars fresh off the lot have when they say 'rail dust'.

[Poki]

Re: Rail Dust??

Wow! No end to the knowledge here. I have seen that nasty stuff and had no idea what it was. Would claying be the way to remove it? Thanks guy!!

[Murr1525]

Re: Rail Dust??

Claying with lots of lube is the place to start, and usualy solves the problem.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Rail Dust??

Wow! No end to the knowledge here. I have seen that nasty stuff and had no idea what it was. Would claying be the way to remove it? Thanks guy!!

It can get more complicated...

Claying can do two things,

It can remove above surface contaminants by abrading the high points off somewhat like a piece of sandpaper can sand or abrade until the surface is flat and at that point the clay will start gliding when it comes into contact with the surface of your car's paint. (Claying doesn't sand or abrade your car's paint)

Because the polymer plastic that holds the special abrasives used in detailing clay is somewhat tacky, it can to some degree remove some contaminants by pulling them off and then they stick to the clay instead of the paint again, because the clay is somewhat tacky.

Either way, as you remove above surface contaminants you'll want to knead the clay and fold the clay into itself so that you don't continue to rub the removed contaminants over the paint.

Then, at some point the clay will become so contaminated with contaminants that you'll want to throw it away and get new clay.

Here's the problem with rail dust which is metal particles. The metal particle because they're usually steel, usually require very aggressive clays to abrade and remove them and whether the particles are abraded off or in some cases pulled out, either way they end up in the clay and the potential exists for these sharp, hard metal particles to instill scratches into the paint.

So when you're removing rail dust you really need to be focused on the task at and and work very carefully so you don't scratch the paint during the removal process.

If you do scratch the paint then you'll need to remove the scratches you instill in the removal process.


There is another way to remove them and that's a chemical method but I don't have any first hand experience with either of these systems.


Note, this site has been recently updated and can be a little hard to navigate, (it uses hover/drop down lists)
ValuGard Neutralization System
[Edited 11/24/2008 -Mike Phillips]

And the Finish Kare system as discussed in a thread on this forum,

Chemically removing rail dust


It's a real problem and there's no easy method of fixing the problem.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Rail Dust??

Rail dust is a nasty problem. On the BMw I detailed a couple of months ago it was the worst I ever seen it. The owner thought there was something wrong with her paint. After a explanation of what it was she was still skeptical but let me have a go at removing it.

When I delivered her car to her she could not believe the difference in the paint. She was thrilled.

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Rail Dust??

Wow! No end to the knowledge here. I have seen that nasty stuff and had no idea what it was. Would claying be the way to remove it? Thanks guy!!

I found that the Hi-Tech body sponge works well. I think your need either an aggressive clay, or loads of patience (ok maybe both).

[CarbonBlack]

Re: Rail Dust??

How common is this problem?
I had never heard of or seen a case.

There is a dealership by some tracks, I'll have to try and find some cases
Thanks,
Nick

[Murr1525]

Re: Rail Dust??

Both my cars were new, and I certainly pulled quite a few specks of something rust colored off my new cars.... Luckily nothing too difficult to deal with easily.

[miahjohn]

Re: Rail Dust??

YOU GUYS!! i've said it before and i'll say it again. look up zep.com then look up zepelume.. this stuff is amazing.......spray it on wet paint, wash and all rail dust/rust spots are gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! simple as that. works great on door jambs, and vehicle emblems where you can not reach . I call it buff job in a bottle!