RMweb Gold unravelled Posted March 8, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2016 I hope this turns out to be a simple question. I have my father's collection of gauge 1 tinplate, which have been stored in less than ideal condtions for many years. Consequently they nead cleaning, and I'm looking for advice on doing this. Any recommendatons on what (and what not) to use? Thanks, and over to you... Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 A vexatious question! First has it gone rusty or is it just dirty? The first is bad news. This is what I do, but I accept no responsibility - Rule 1. If in doubt, don't! (The antiques trade recommends leaving 'patina' well alone.) I use a brass brush in a small drill to remove rust. It normally does not damage the lithographing, but an inconspicuous place should be tried first. For dirt, I usually just wash with a mild detergent or soap. Then rinse and dry thoroughly with a hair dryer. Muck around mechanisms usually responds to turps substitute. This should be all removed until it runs freely, followed by light lubrication. Care needs to be used at all times of course. I would avoid any kind of solvent - most will damage the finish. Humbrol satin black is a reasonable match for most black finishes, but restoration at best equates to 'good' * condition however well done. * On a scale - Mint - Excellent - Good - Average - Fair - Poor. The difference in value between first and last can be 10 times or more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Sorry about the small print. I've no idea why it decided to reduce the size. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hornby railway collectors used to swear by Johnsons Pledge wax polish,it had a very slight abrasive action which lifted the grime off of my Hornby Dublo tinprinted coaches & track & leave a super finish. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Sorry about the small print. I've no idea why it decided to reduce the size. RM Web has a habit of changing type size for no apparent reason. It usually darkens and enlarges the print. I agree with David's comments on cleaning. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Hornby railway collectors used to swear by Johnsons Pledge wax polish,it had a very slight abrasive action which lifted the grime off of my Hornby Dublo tinprinted coaches & track & leave a super finish. Ray. I have seen this before and tried it with mixed results. Extremely dulled finish has responded to Johnson's Kleer (or is it Klear?). However they have changed the formula and I have not tried the new one. Most polish has an abrasive action and then leaves a layer of wax or similar. I have tried Duraglit and other metal polishes (only on items in fair/poor condition and of little value). Again mixed results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Johnson's Kleer of course is a varnish,super for restoring fogged window glazing. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold unravelled Posted March 13, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2016 A belated thank you to all who replied. I've started unpacking stock, and will select a suitably low value model for test cleaning. I'll report back in due course Thanks Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 If rust has set in, worth discussing that separately, because there are non-abrasive approaches. Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 If rust has set in, worth discussing that separately, because there are non-abrasive approaches. Kevin I've seen saturated sugar solution suggested, but have never tried it. I have a Dublo GW open wagon, which would be a suitable candidate for experiments..... (very rusty!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Molasses - it works a treat! And, aluminium foil, gently rubbed on, with a tiny bit of water, that works very well too. Or, brown sauce, but that is an acidic process, so a bit less kind than the above two. I've tried them all recently, mainly because I was sceptical about the first two. Kevin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Now I have to try.... I've been going to throw the wagon out several times, but ........ (can't bear to throw anything away - SWMBO thinks I should stop buying more trains, but I can't imagine why! ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted March 13, 2016 Share Posted March 13, 2016 Marvellous innit!,i was going to point you in the direction of Ebay where a seller in the Hornby Dublo search advertises private owner decals for tired HD open wagons.He`s gone at the moment but he`s on there quite often so it`s worth keeping an eye out. Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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