How to clean rust over gold or silver

[Kmaddock]

Hi Kubur

I have reclaimed a good few rusty blades and guns

Below are my experiences, personal opinions and maybe the methods might suit your job

I am aiming for rust free but not polished in all my cleaning, I suppose knowing what you want as an end result is the first question you need to ask yourself.

I have used electrolysis on some bayonets.
It works great but the platina is gone and the metal turns a very grey colour and totally lifeless, my bayonet turned a zinc like colour. looking at the amount of bubbling I think if there was any rust under the gold the gold would come off.

With the Picreators metal de coroner the rust is removed but again the steel looses its platina and takes a grey look, I tried this on an English etched cavilary sabre and did not like the end look of lifeless steel but the rust was gone.

My most successful method is soaking in diesel for a few days then gently polishing with oooo bronze wool, and repeating the soaking in diesel over the week or two With cleaning in between, Messy work and not suitable for in the kitchen. I recommend nitrile gloves and a bench you do not care too much for. With some metals a redish hue can develop on the steel but v careful oooo wire wool will remove this.

I have a scissors katar, search my posts from a few months ago and you will see my cleaning, you can see the silver on the metal work which was completely hidden by rust and was exposed by my cleaning, not a beautiful end result but this is what I go for in my cleaning.

Best of luck.

Ken