When to put on wax

[badgers325]

Hi all - need your opinions on when to apply RenWax. I just got some and seem to procrastinate on when to apply. I had found a civil war token and a exempt WWI button/token (still not sure) that I would like to preserve. Both of these items have some dirt on them, mostly crusty stuff that I likely could remove, but it wouldn't show the detail as well.

Is it ok to apply the wax over the crusty dirt and it would be preserved?

Thanks all! Happy Hunting to all of you.

[OxShoeDrew]

Good question! I did hear someone say Renwax is easily removed...so it's not a permanent coating. I hope someone chimes in with exact info.

[Lodge Scent]

I put Ren Wax on top of crusty dirty coppers all the time. Often if you remove the crusty dirt, you are removing any remaining detail. Ren wax will help keep that last bit of detail intact.

[OxShoeDrew]

Jeff, did you put wax on your USA button?

[badgers325]

Thanks Drew and Lodge Scent. British Museum uses RenWax (according to the can of it I got). It doesn't really state that it comes off, just that "dries hard instantly. Resists liquid spillage. Does not show finger marks".

I will give it a shot.

[Lodge Scent]

Jeff, did you put wax on your USA button?

I did not Drew. The USA button got a good dousing of my wife's best hairspray. It is holding up very well. I prefer hairspray over Renwax on flaky pewter. The hairspray gets into to all the nooks and crannies and seals it up tight.

I also started using hairspray on fragile coppers as part of the "dry" cleaning process. You've seen many times how those coppers start to dry and crack and flake almost as soon as you get them out of the ground. Last couple of coppers like that I have kept them moist until I got home. Then when I got home, I gave them a good soaking with the hairspray and let it dry. The hairspray keeps the dirt/patina matrix together. Then I take the scratch brush and basically remove one layer of dirt at a time. If I see a layer that is too dry and flaky, it gets a light spray to hold it together. I do that until I get down the remaining "green" patina. Any further "scratching" at that point will just remove what little detail was left to begin with. At that point, I break out the Ren wax and cover what ever is left on the coin...dirt and all. My goal is to keep as much detail as possible.

[OxShoeDrew]

ohhh I didn't realize it was pewter. I'm deciding what to do with chicken hawk.

[Lodge Scent]

For a chicken hawk.... my first instinct would be to go with the Ren wax. But only because I haven't tried hair spray on relics like that. The advantage of hairspray is that you can easily remove it with water. You can't do that easily with Ren wax.

[aloldstuff]

I can agree with Jeff on applying the RenWax over the dirt. Seems to hold everything together

[del]

Ren wax I usually apply liberally and allow to dry , it will get a lighter or hazy or whitish coloration when its dry . I will then buff the item with a stiff nylon or horse hair brush to create a bit of friction , this allows the wax to heat up enough to really seal the surface and you will see a nice sheen that gives some contrast to the details .

Dan