Cleaning technique

this is a repost of an older thread as it may have been lost during the software transfer.


here is a Civil war era button i recently found , its a officer's Connecticut state seal coat button ( rare to find them not dented or pushed in )

just freshly dug with lots of dirt and grime
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...uncleaned1.jpg

and heres after a warm soapy water and toothbrush scrubbing , while it is better it could be so much more appealing.
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...pandwater1.jpg

now this is more like it , this is after some water diluted in some CLR (calcium lime rust) remover and a toothbrush . it took only a few moments to get the dirt and grime stains off to reveal the eye popping gilt .
http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/r...onwithclr1.jpg

the clr can be harmful to items like copper if it is not diluted right and left too long on an item , be careful with it and practice using it on less valuable items first to understand its properties . you could damage a nice relic or item.

for example i will usually start with a 1/4 clr to 3/4 water mixture ratio dip the toothbrush into the solution and brush it vigorously for a few seconds or until i see the the foam discolor from the dirt. then rinse the item under the water and repeat until i'm happy with the results. then rinse item well pat dry and add a coating or light oil , vaseline or other to preserve the look and keep it from oxidizing and discoloring.

Dan

Thanks for the info Dan. I only have one really nice pre-CW button that looks to have some gilt left on it. It has the same appearance as your middle picture. I'm going to see if I can clean it up a bit more with your method. I'll post pics. HH, Dave.

Dave just remember to work with it diluted and in little windows of time at a time , brass buttons can take the clr on them a bit longer but the thin copper two piece ones like civil war era type can get damaged if left on there too long.

I remember seeing this post, thanks for reposting! Where does one obtain CLR? I have a few items that might be candidates for some experimenting. Fantastic results with this item!

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Originally Posted by milco

I remember seeing this post, thanks for reposting! Where does one obtain CLR? I have a few items that might be candidates for some experimenting. Fantastic results with this item!

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any plumbing or hardware store even like a home depot may have it Darren

Thanks! I emailed my uncle who is a water chemist and he told me the same thing, thanks again!

Thanks so much for your tip on cleaning this is the button I posted earlier in Relic finds before and after

big difference Tony and a very nice improvement :perfect10: thanks for posting the before and after here

Nice tip Dan!! That CLR stuff works! I figured I would try it on a lincoln penny just to see how it works. I'm impressed! Here are the before and after pics. :)

Great idea Steve. I just turned all my mercury dimes into walking liberty halves! :lolsign:

Wonder if it will work on my car :thinkingabout:

Well I guess that is what is happening in Washington, except they are cleaning the dollars into cents!:shocked04:

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Originally Posted by pulltabsteve

Nice tip Dan!! That CLR stuff works! I figured I would try it on a lincoln penny just to see how it works. I'm impressed! Here are the before and after pics. :)

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:coffeelaugh::lol::rofl: you didn't leave it on long enough Steve it should shine a bit more like this one.;)

I use a chemical called Awesome they sell it at the Dollar store it the only thing I feel comfortable going in there for lol. It has ethanol in it so it tends to work very well.

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Originally Posted by Coinshooter

I use a chemical called Awesome they sell it at the Dollar store it the only thing I feel comfortable going in there for lol. It has ethanol in it so it tends to work very well.

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Will probably work in your gas tank too.:lol:

Lemon juice also works pretty good too.

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Originally Posted by giant056

Lemon juice also works pretty good too.

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Each cleaning techniques have there pluses, The CLR seems to make the gold brighter than the lemon juice, but the lemon juice seems to be gentler on the un-plated areas. The CLR can turn the exposed areas a rough reddish color.