Old Varnish cleaning.

[GriffMJ]

Hello All

Hope you have had a good Christmas..... and here is to a New Year of getting our freedoms back in ALL areas.

I purchased an "Old" Firmin AA the other day that was covered in old varnish and a bit of Tippex. I tested an area with some laquer thinners and found that it was taking it off slowly. So... I put it in a jar and covered it in the thinners and left for an hour or so and got a great result.

Quite why the previous owner felt the need to cover a "Staybright" in varnish is beyond me.... but there you go?

This Motto is marked on the "inside" of the slider.... so a production run error probably.

BEFORE


AFTER

[Mike H]

Maybe trying to make it more metal like or possibly to prevent scratching it. Is it a Firmin. London or no dot Griff ?

[Frank Kelley]

I suspect things will get rather worse before anything, including freedom, actually return, I doubt if life will ever be quite the same.

You managed to get the slider back to a more vertical angle too!

Originally Posted by GriffMJ

Hello All

Hope you have had a good Christmas..... and here is to a New Year of getting our freedoms back in ALL areas.

I purchased an "Old" Firmin AA the other day that was covered in old varnish and a bit of Tippex. I tested an area with some laquer thinners and found that it was taking it off slowly. So... I put it in a jar and covered it in the thinners and left for an hour or so and got a great result.

Quite why the previous owner felt the need to cover a "Staybright" in varnish is beyond me.... but there you go?

This Motto is marked on the "inside" of the slider.... so a production run error probably.

BEFORE


AFTER

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by Mike H

Is it a Firmin. London or no dot Griff ?

Its this one Mike

"FIRMIN LONDON"

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

You managed to get the slider back to a more vertical angle too!

Yes Frank.... it was a bit squished in the top and it cracked along the top of the slider (still hanging on). I got some needle nose pliers to bend the joint back to straight. I have strengthened it with some super glue and baking powder to protect it from breaking completely.

[Mike H]

It's an early one that Griff.
My first though could well be right. Unfortunately we'll never know .

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by Mike H

It's an early one that Griff.
My first though could well be right. Unfortunately we'll never know .

yes Mike.... its the early Cold War AA from Firmin.... here is the sequence...from top (earliest) to bottom including the Brass/nickel/silver plated officer Motto in the sequence of production (by back image/male die).

https://www.paoyeomanry.org.uk/Motto/Firmin1946AA.htm

[Alex Rice]

Originally Posted by GriffMJ

Yes Frank.... it was a bit squished in the top and it cracked along the top of the slider (still hanging on). I got some needle nose pliers to bend the joint back to straight. I have strengthened it with some super glue and baking powder to protect it from breaking completely.

Baking Powder...?

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by GriffMJ

yes Mike.... its the early Cold War AA from Firmin.... here is the sequence...from top (earliest) to bottom including the Brass/nickel/silver plated officer Motto in the sequence of production (by back image/male die).

https://www.paoyeomanry.org.uk/Motto/Firmin1946AA.htm

You can clearly see differences on the backs of the various badges. The angle.of the eye sockets,the scarf. All on the same early mark as well.

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by Alex Rice

Baking Powder...?

.... yes Alex... its a way of bulking the glue and it also strengthens it. Some super glue products actually produce some fine dust or small crystalline powder to add to the glue for strengthening.

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by GriffMJ

.... yes Alex... its a way of bulking the glue and it also strengthens it. Some super glue products actually produce some fine dust or small crystalline powder to add to the glue for strengthening.

You can get an aluminium powder kit from decent car spares shops.