Cleaning Up Slot Cars

Question:

I have a slot car track with a lot of rust on the end terminals that connect the two pieces together. (They are small pieces about 1/8-inch long, very fragile). Have you ever been a slot car HO racer? What do I need to remove rust? Thank you. J.H.

Answer:

Since most of the questions to this column deal with industrial products and chemicals, I will have to keep in mind that you have a limited supply of possibilities available to you around the house (and try to remember what my slot cars used to look like when I was younger). I would suggest trying to dip the very ends of the terminals in lemon juice. The citric acid will do a good job at removing most corrosion products. If there is too much corrosion on these terminals, it is possible a carbonated soft drink would also work. These contain phosphoric acid, and I have seen them used at times as a household de-rusting agent. Obviously, you need to be careful to only expose the end terminals to either solution and not let the liquid come in contact with the remainder of the car.