Hello Greg,
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here it is “mostly” cleaned, with still a few stubborn spots of rust that I’m trying to remove gently, rather than chipping them off or doing anything drastic that may damage the blade further.
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It usually helps to work on those stubborn spots with a fine needle and steady hand; if you want to play safe, you can also utilize picks that are softer than the mild steel of the blade (picks from hardwood, etc.).
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I may be crucified here for the way I have gone about this but I was not able to remove the handle by heating the blade without putting more and more effort into it such that I feared doing irreversible damage. So I have ended up suspending it in vinegar and working it gently over 24 hours with a brass wire brush to clean it up. As a result I’m not all that happy with what it’s done to the colour of the selut but I’ll see how/if that may change when I polish it later.
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I'd be more weary of the ivory which does not respond well to acids...
It really takes perseverance to dismount some keris hilts: Just heat long enough near the flared base (up to several minutes - stop if you see bubbles from possibly boiling resin or smoke exiting from the pesi hole; with a candle flame you can't hurt the blade; make sure to protect the hilt from heat though!) and let it cool again if the hilt doesn't move upon very gentle twisting/pulling - some old keris need weeks of multiple cycles before they let go!
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I’ll give it overnight tonight and see how it is but I don’t want to overcook it and loose more metal from the blade by doing so.
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Removal of those stubborn spots helps to minimize total exposure of the metal blade.
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So my query now is what to do with the rust removed? Should I gently polish the blade to try and remove the roughness caused by the rust and the acid action of the vinegar/rust removal. And should I perhaps smooth out the blade edge with a steel or fine file to remove the rough serrations caused by the rust and subsequent cleaning?
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I'd suggest not to do any reprofiling nor even mild polishing. Some cultures prefer different approaches but any of this work needs quite specialized knowledge on traditional styles, etc.
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Or should I just now preserve it now with oil as described in other posts and leave it as it is? Would anyone disagree with using Renaissance wax on a Keris (as I use on my other swords) instead of the aromatic oils that I’ve read about?
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This blade will be somewhat porous and needs thorough and quick drying to avoid rust appearing again quickly. Ample application of any gun oil will help; some may prefer to use a water displacing oil first. After soaking for a few days, excess oil can be removed (or the blade just wrapped in plastic foil for longterm storage); aromatic oils can be added at this stage, too; adding a thin layer of microcrystalline wax might be helpful for display purposes - application can be quite difficult though since excess wax tends to fill crevices/pores and attract dust in the long run. I would not recommend Ren Wax since it also contains polyethylene waxes which can prove difficult to remove.
Regards,
Kai