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Old 21st January 2014, 07:12 PM   #1
Multumesc
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Default Old shield

The shield is approximately 50 cm.What can clean rust and do not affect the surface?It can be shiny?
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Old 21st January 2014, 07:48 PM   #2
Robert
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Hello Multumesc, Personally I would clean this in warm soapy water to remove as much dirt and powdered rust as possible then dry thoroughly. On an item like this where no wood or other organic material is present I would place the item in an oven at 200 deg F for about twenty minutes to make sure that all the water has evaporated. After it cools I would use a light weight oil (like sewing machine oil) and 0000 steel wool to remove any loose rust. Wipe with a clean rag with a small amount of oil on it until all excess rust has been removed, then wipe with clean dry cloth to remove all excess oil and lastly apply a coat of Ren wax and polish. This is what I would do but others might have better suggestions for cleaning.

Best,
Robert

P.S. Please do not make it shiny, only remove the dirt and filth and stabilize the rust.
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Old 22nd January 2014, 07:17 PM   #3
Andrew
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Arrow

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert
Hello Multumesc, Personally I would clean this in warm soapy water to remove as much dirt and powdered rust as possible then dry thoroughly. On an item like this where no wood or other organic material is present I would place the item in an oven at 200 deg F for about twenty minutes to make sure that all the water has evaporated. After it cools I would use a light weight oil (like sewing machine oil) and 0000 steel wool to remove any loose rust. Wipe with a clean rag with a small amount of oil on it until all excess rust has been removed, then wipe with clean dry cloth to remove all excess oil and lastly apply a coat of Ren wax and polish. This is what I would do but others might have better suggestions for cleaning.

Best,
Robert

P.S. Please do not make it shiny, only remove the dirt and filth and stabilize the rust.
This. I strongly suggest avoiding any etchants (acids) like vinegar, cola, fruit juice, naval jelly, etc. This item should not be aggressively cleaned or polished unless you want to destroy any collectible/artifact "value" or intend to fully restore it.
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Old 8th February 2014, 03:51 AM   #4
JamesKelly
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For scrubbing I might suggest that bronze wool is preferable to steel wool. The bronze is unlikely to damage the steel or iron of the shield. Everyone seems to have their own preference of oil with which to scrub. When I wished to avoid getting oil on another part I have used hard paste wax, maybe not the best but not harmful. Automatic transmission fluid is a good cleaning agent.

Coca Cola has maybe 5% phosphoric acid, which is a good rust remover and which also inhibits iron corrosion.

Vinegar (acetic acid) or various citric acids do no inhibiting. Avoid steel wool.

Coca Cola may dissolve the enamel on your teeth, not sure about other bodily effects . . . been used for decades as a good rust remover, though.
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