British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > British Military Insignia > General Topics.

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #61  
Old 16-04-09, 09:15 AM
41st's Avatar
41st 41st is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Cardiff, Wales
Posts: 2,070
Default


For my bullion items I use a mixture of household ammonia and washing up liquid, about 20ml each, diluted with water to 10 parts. This cleans all bullion and gilt items. Even fire gilt.
With bullion items you need to thoroughly rinse off all traces of the ammonia otherwise it will rot the item.
Reply With Quote
  #62  
Old 15-09-09, 01:37 AM
AAC_GPR's Avatar
AAC_GPR AAC_GPR is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 132
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Traist View Post
I use Table Vinegar, and dilute about 50/50 with water.
Regards Andrew
Interesting thread.

A few years back, I bought an embroidered, cloth, glider pilot shoulder title for a tenner. It was badly stained and quite ugly. I already had a couple of these in my collection so I took a gamble on cleaning it up. I added approx' 6 capfuls of white, malt vinegar to about half a pint of water and soaked the shoulder title for about 5 minutes. Using a half inch, soft bristle paint brush, I gently worked the solution into the cloth for a minute or so and then I placed it into a dish full of clean water. I repeated the clean water soak stage three or four times then removed the badge. I gently removed the excess water between countless sheets of unbleached paper towel and once that was done I applied some gentle heat by placing the badge on top of my old PC monitor. The results were fantastic, I sold the shoulder title last year for £95 so well worth taking the risk!.

Cheers,

Kev C
Reply With Quote
  #63  
Old 16-09-09, 05:26 PM
69th's Avatar
69th 69th is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South Wales, UK
Posts: 16
Default

I find brown sauce very good.
Reply With Quote
  #64  
Old 16-09-09, 05:28 PM
AAC_GPR's Avatar
AAC_GPR AAC_GPR is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 132
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 69th View Post
I find brown sauce very good.
Far tastier too but save it for your bangers n' mash!
Reply With Quote
  #65  
Old 09-10-09, 06:11 PM
kingsman's Avatar
kingsman kingsman is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Oldham
Posts: 154
Default

Recently the Mrs purchased an ultrasonic cleaner on the recommendation of the local dental hospital to clean her very expensive dentures. I have with out her knowledge been experiment cleaning various items. Results using a drop of washing up liquid,(a)metal badges no noticable improvement, (b)sp/gilt and enamel some effect on dirt at edges of enamel and apparent brightening of enamel colouring, (c)cloth arm/hat badges very good results.
Unfortunatly neglected do do before and after photo's.

Don't have any more badges that require cleaning but this may be an avenue for experimentation using other cleaning fluids.
Reply With Quote
  #66  
Old 09-10-09, 07:50 PM
Gurkha's Avatar
Gurkha Gurkha is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 635
Default

One to make you cringe,
when I was a kid I used to clean my brass badges by dunking them in "scrubs cloudy ammonia" you had to hold your breath but with a old tooth brush they came out like new. I left one in the solution to long and it turned black !!!

if you can get the stuff nowadays worth trying on a scrap badge.
Steve
Reply With Quote
  #67  
Old 09-10-09, 07:50 PM
kingsman's Avatar
kingsman kingsman is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Oldham
Posts: 154
Default

A word of caution re cloth badges most red dyes are not fast and may run.
Cleaning cycles on ultra sonic cleaners usually about 3 minutes.
Reply With Quote
  #68  
Old 12-10-09, 02:10 PM
wright241's Avatar
wright241 wright241 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In Luxembourg for the last 20 years and staying. They take much better care of us here....
Posts: 2,995
Default Lemon Juice and Verdigris

Some pictures of a badge that I have recently cleaned up that had a lot of verdigris. Not a problem as I knew this before getting them.
Picture 1) and 2) as bought - Lots of verdigris on the back, not so much on the front. Pictures 3) & 4) are after using a mix of 50/50 pure lemon juice and tap water.

Phase 1 - badge was soaked for around 15 minutes and an old toothbrush head in one of those electric toothbrush was used to shift the loosened stuff.
It isn't that obvious that the front has changed much, this is because the verdigris was much thicker.

Phase 2 - I repeated the above a few days later - but sods law dictates
that I have misplaced the finished badge for a final picture....

The results of phase 1 were good, phase 2 was even better. Phase 2
consisted of a 75% lemon/25%water solution for around 30 mins.
This worked a treat.
The lemon juice was out of one of those plastic lemon shaped containers.
I had tried white and malt vinegar but was not impressed. Maybe its the
water out here.....
david
Attached Images
File Type: jpg GCGS_FrontB4.jpg (95.6 KB, 61 views)
File Type: jpg GCGS_RearB4.jpg (97.9 KB, 60 views)
File Type: jpg GCGS_FrontS1.jpg (87.4 KB, 62 views)
File Type: jpg GCGS_RearS1.jpg (88.5 KB, 59 views)

Last edited by wright241; 12-10-09 at 02:12 PM. Reason: typo
Reply With Quote
  #69  
Old 13-10-09, 03:51 PM
69th's Avatar
69th 69th is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South Wales, UK
Posts: 16
Default

I always use brown sauce, I remembered using it on medals. HP or daddies
Reply With Quote
  #70  
Old 13-10-09, 04:09 PM
wright241's Avatar
wright241 wright241 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In Luxembourg for the last 20 years and staying. They take much better care of us here....
Posts: 2,995
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 69th View Post
I always use brown sauce, I remembered using it on medals. HP or daddies
Sorry mate, but thats reserved for bacon butties.
Reply With Quote
  #71  
Old 04-11-09, 12:01 AM
mtrpltpara mtrpltpara is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: England
Posts: 307
Default

WD40 worked well for me on a title, no change to patina, where the verdigris had actually attacked the metal was brighter but this toned in well after a few days. Would this be due to the age of the metal? (WW1). I mentioned a similar thing happening with another title some time ago, this was rubbed with very fine wet&dry and darkened up again in a week, i`m sure this wouldnt happen with "new" metal.
Bill.
Reply With Quote
  #72  
Old 04-11-09, 10:20 PM
Mike_2817's Avatar
Mike_2817 Mike_2817 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 2,596
Default

Brown Sauce only works because one of its main ingredients is [wait for it] Malt Vinegar!
It does work becouse you can rub it into the badge, leave for a few minutes and rinse off.

But useing a 50/50 dip of Vinegar & Water is safer to me...

You can also use a paste of Table Salt & Vinegar as a cleaning agent, which is also good for removing stains from cloth.

Pure Lemon Juice works as well.
__________________
Sua Tela Tonanti

Wanted Poppy Pins
Reply With Quote
  #73  
Old 16-09-10, 08:03 PM
Cardiffbloke's Avatar
Cardiffbloke Cardiffbloke is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 360
Default Polishing of Badges

Been asked a question on my regimental forum i cant answer for a change! So seek help here.
Many of the older badges especially Victorian ones are in pristine condition with very little evidence of polishing wear. Now i know the soldiery of the time was as fond of the bullshit as they were of 'shoving it up any of the Queen's enemies' and no self respecting soldier would have had a 'minging' badge. so in the absence of Brasso or any other abrasive badge cleaning compound, what in fact did they use to polish their badges?
Reply With Quote
  #74  
Old 16-09-10, 09:00 PM
Lampwick's Avatar
Lampwick Lampwick is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Brecon Powys by way of Ludlow
Posts: 968
Default

Soot, ash, plate powder, soldiers friend etc. etc.
__________________
Looking for a North Hampshire 37 Glengarry badge, genuine or place saver.
Reply With Quote
  #75  
Old 16-09-10, 09:19 PM
2747andy 2747andy is offline
Former Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Porthcawl, South Wales
Posts: 7,658
Default

Howard,
interesting question! Come to think of it, the majority of my QVC era badges are in pristine condition! The badges when issued come with a gilt/bright finish, if not subjected to abrasive cleaning agents they would remain in such condition. So I supose "cleaning" as been to the degridation of many badges. Verdigris is of course the scourge of metal badges and if not removed will leave permanent damage/staining... I guess the answer is that in the absence of chemical cleaners, they just use soap and water?

Andy
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
patina, verdi gris, vinegar

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 06:05 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.