Wooden Ship Wheel

How can i clean 20 years worth of dust from a wooden model ship?

My girlfriend has a model ship that her father made before he died. Its mostly made of wood, but also contains rope, and metal (for the cannons and the like) It has accumulated over 20 years worth of dust. I have tried using compressed air on it (like you would for a computer) and it doesn't even budge the dust. How can I clean the ship? what kinda product can i use? Murphy's maybe? is there some special technique to cleaning dust that old?

Public Comments

1. Careful with the mast!!! Break that and there could be some tears shed! I would take it to a professional restorer. If they break it, they can at least try to conceal it from your girlfriend. If you break it, there could be some hurt feelings for a lifetime.
2. You need a very soft, natural bristle artists brush. Carefully start at the top and work your way down. There are tiny attachments use on vacuum cleaners that are meant to use on keyboards and such. That might be worth a try. Good luck!