Cleaning badges

[KLR]

I assume you meant "As long as there is NO intent to deceive ..." !

[kingsman]

Sorry. Thats the problem when you have no proof reader you read what you intend to say not what you actually say should of corse be 'no intent to deceive'.

[GregN]

Hi all, I picked up a mixed bag of Canadian and British militaria today. There was interesting stuff in the lot including this tin of polishing paste. Most of us wonder what is that red/pink "stuff" that is so hard to clean out of all the nooks and crannys of our badges, perhaps this is that "stuff". Has anyone else seen this tin and can perhaps date it to WW1 or WW2?

Cheers,

Greg

[wright241]

There is a very fine cleaning/polishing agent used in the jewelry trade known as
Jewellers Rouge (its just about the finest - similar to Crocus paper) - I use it for polishing up gold foils etc - and have also used it on some SBP's. Its like talcum powder - in fact its so like talcum powder that you have to be very careful if it dries out. What you seem to have shown is a paste version of this - easier to use and less of a safety hazard.
I should mention that Jewellers Rouge is (usually) extremely hard to get hold of. If you do have the paste version of it, look after it. Its not easy to find.
I can well imagine that its perfect for polishing up something like a staybrite badge - without the Brasso/cardboard effect.

Rgds, David

[cbuehler]

I know that some collectors feel that badges should never be cleaned or polished in any way. While I agree with not actually polishing them bright, I do not leave them uncleaned.
For myself, if a badge is dirty and has a lot of old polish residue visable, or has any corrosion, I always clean it with a toothbrush and dish soap followed by a good rinse with warm water and wiping with a soft cloth. Even badges that are clean and need no attention get a rinse in warm water and wiping.
I think it improves the appearance and does not substantially change the patina of the badge. It also removes potentially damaging corrosion, dirt and old polish residue, something that the "dont touch it" school of thought would do well to consider.

CB

[Peter Brydon]

I am always very weary of badges of badges with lots of old polish residue ( not in my opinion the sign of a keen soldier, possibly the sign of something else ).

Most of the badges I acquire do not have any ( polish residue ) ,but having been a keen polisher of badges when I first started, I eventually learnt it was the worst thing I could do, so I dont polish/clean badges at all now.

I have to say though it is a personal thing, it always amazes me that some medal collectors prefer examples with toning, but how many medals would have actually been worn without being well polished beforehand.

P.B.

[Bill A]

CB, You are correct. Badges should be cleaned, but not polished. Cleaning removes agents that can cause long term damage.
To add some more information, cloth badges can and in some cases must be cleaned. The simplest approach is a vacuuming the articles. This should be done with a fiberglass screen over the item to prevent damage. (Pulls etc.) The next level of cleaning is wet cleaning, using some sort of liquid agents. The simplest is a rinse in cool clean water, but there are dangers. The fabric may have dies that run or may be made of a material that reacts even to water. Soap and other cleaning agents can be added to the water, but there are great dangers to this.
As a start, Wiki has some basic information to guide cloth collectors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile...ation#Cleaning
The Canadian Conservation Institute has some excellent professional advice on all kinds of preservation techinques for collectors.
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/grid_e.asp

[Col Blacker]

Hi all,

I know this has probably been covered to death but I have several old badges, mostly brass but one gilt metal, with heavy verdigris on them and if I do not give them one clean - NOT polish, but clean them -they will slowly dissolve before my eyes!

I really would like to leave them alone but I do not have a choice and whilst they will end up looking shiny and new for a few years until they dull down again at least I will still have them in good condition.

Does anyone have any simple suggestions as to what I could use - I live in the UK so if answers can be tailored towards what I can get here I would be most grateful.

Thanking you in advance...

Sean.

[wright241]

Originally Posted by Col Blacker

Hi all,

I know this has probably been covered to death but I have several old badges, mostly brass but one gilt metal, with heavy verdigris on them and if I do not give them one clean - NOT polish, but clean them -they will slowly dissolve before my eyes!

I really would like to leave them alone but I do not have a choice and whilst they will end up looking shiny and new for a few years until they dull down again at least I will still have them in good condition.

Does anyone have any simple suggestions as to what I could use - I live in the UK so if answers can be tailored towards what I can get here I would be most grateful.

Thanking you in advance...

Sean.

Sean,
Antique dealers have to deal with verdigris all the time in a big way
with bronzes etc. Have a word with your local one.
You don't (obviously) want to use anything that removes the patination
in any way. Soaking them (unless there is cloth in the badge as a backing)
in good old warmed up distilled with a very mild soap solution isn't such a
bad start. Its worked for me.

[Luc]

I've been told that formic acid works very well. It can be found at DIY stores, stuff that will remove the thin layer of cement after you grouted floor tiles.

[jeanpit-frenchy]

to remove "verdegris" without patine i use lemon juice.

[Col Blacker]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions - I will try each on some old restrikes I have and see what works the best.

Anyone with other cleaning ideas to share would also be apprecaited.

Thank-you

Sean

[Bwetdude]

I used WD-40 to clean badges with a lot of vert-de-gris.

I soaked the end of a Q-Tip with the stuff, and rubbed off the corrosion.

You should try it first on a "junk" badge or on the back of a precious one...

It should not remove the patina... but please don't take my word for it... the formula for WD-40 changes from country to country.

The white polish residues that get stuck in the reliefs came off too.

And it gave the badge a "nice" wet-look. Well I find it nice...

OH! I forgot the say that I rinsed the badge with warm water afterwards... just to make sure nothing chemical would be left on it.

I'm sorting my badges as of now... If I get my hands on a nasty one... I'll do a before/after picture. (for what it's worth... lighting, flash and all)

I asked the Canadian Conservation Institute for advise on the long term effects of using WD-40 on metal badges... but they never got back to me....

I did clean the end parts of my webbing items with that too. The thing is you don't want to put too much on the swab so it doesn't drip on the fabrics.

Let me know if it works for you.

[DavidS]

Vinegar is my poison of choice. It removes verdigris as well as removing or reducing black spots. Link here to a few suggestions, including lemon juice. As for the vinegar, I only soak the badge for 2-3 minutes then use a soft toothbrush to remove the softened verdigris and staining, then repeat once if there is still green remaining. Round wood toothpicks help clean it out of recesses and reverse side lettering.

[Traist]

I also use vinegar, diluted slightly with water. I only do it with badges with verdigris on. The other items I leave exactly as I get them. Andrew