Corrosion on grenade spoon

[Bodes]

Forum members, Noticed today one of my Mk2 grenades has a whitish corrosion on it's spoon....I assume it's made of zinc...What can a person use to safely remove the corrosion without polishing or buffing?.....Any thoughts appreciated as usual, Bodes

[dhcoleterracina]

I think it's called zinc pest, I also think it's treated with Vaseline but double check that first.

[Persian Gulf Command]

The spoons are zinc coated steel, You will see iron oxide (regular rust) on spoons once the zinc is worn off or otherwise removed. The Vaseline will inhibit the oxidation of the zinc coating by creating a barrier to further oxidation. I would try putting some on the inside of the spoon to see how it looks before you rub the stuff on the outer visible parts.

[doyler]

Renassiance wax may also be a solution.It provides a barrier and is a micro crystaline wax.A little goes a long ways.

 

Used by the imperial war museum (stated on line) so it must be a good product

[Bodes]

Than the spoons are similar to the German steel stripper clips...Zinc coated to inhibit rust....The corrosion almost resembles mold...Funny thing is, it seems to have showed up overnight, as I don't remember it there when I bought it....

 

Will the vaseline remove the corrosion?...Doyler, where can one buy the wax?.....Bodes

[72psb]

Zinc and cadmium plating are sacrificial coatings meant to corrode before the parent metal. It's just doing what it was designed to do. Hope you can slow it down.

[doyler]

Than the spoons are similar to the German steel stripper clips...Zinc coated to inhibit rust....The corrosion almost resembles mold...Funny thing is, it seems to have showed up overnight, as I don't remember it there when I bought it....

 

Will the vaseline remove the corrosion?...Doyler, where can one buy the wax?.....Bodes

Its sold on Amazon, ebay etc.Search the name and it will give links.

[917601]

I second the Renaissance wax treatment. I would use alcohol or mineral spirits and wipe down the spoon with a soaked cotton cloth to remove the zinc oxide and give a good base for the wax. Let dry, put in sun for an hour or so, warm it up, ( wax penetrates better) then apply the wax and buff. I use it on all my ordnance. Renaissance is micro crystalline wax, colorless, and seals out O2, moisture, fingerprints, etc...used by many museums and conservators. I have had excellent time tested results with it, all my " overflow" Ordnace goes into the garage where it it a brutal environment, those pieces still exhibiting no further corrosion. I bought my 200ml can a few years ago, alittle goes a long ways.

[917601]

How about posting before and after pics?

[917601]

Pic of a bazooka round that had loose, visible, powdery rust. I knocked off the powdery rust with mineral spirits and cotton rag and coated with Renaissance wax. It has the brown rusty color, smooth,with no powdery rust, better than if stripped and left in bright metal. Been in the garage for three years now with no signs of further deterioration.

[Bodes]

Pic of a bazooka round that had loose, visible, powdery rust. I knocked off the powdery rust with mineral spirits and cotton rag and coated with Renaissance wax. It has the brown rusty color, smooth,with no powdery rust, better than if stripped and left in bright metal. Been in the garage for three years now with no signs of further deterioration.

I was able to rub off the corrosion on the inside of my spoon using a penny and some patience....The corrosion on the rest of the spoon was stubborn, so I tried a little gun oil....That toned down the whitish discoloration and evened it out.....I'm assuming my fix is temporary, but will continue to monitor....I think I'll try the vaseline, as that I believe is a petroleum based product...Bodes

[Bluehawk]

Renassiance wax may also be a solution.It provides a barrier and is a micro crystaline wax.A little goes a long ways.

 

Used by the imperial war museum (stated on line) so it must be a good product

Second that, wholeheartedly...

 

Whatever state of preservation the artifact is currently in, that much will be stable, indefinitely.

 

Any "discoloration" would, most likely, bring the piece back to something closely resembling new?

[917601]

I was able to rub off the corrosion on the inside of my spoon using a penny and some patience....The corrosion on the rest of the spoon was stubborn, so I tried a little gun oil....That toned down the whitish discoloration and evened it out.....I'm assuming my fix is temporary, but will continue to monitor....I think I'll try the vaseline, as that I believe is a petroleum based product...Bodes

I used to use break free CLP gun cleaner at Walmart, it works much better than Vaseline, cheap, long lasting , not greasy and you can use it to clean/oil your guns. That stuff lasted a good two years on my ordnance out in the garage before having to reapply. CLP is a cleaner, lubricant and preservative, I used it on our mini guns in SA, no need for Hoppes solvent, this stuff did it all in one cleaning.

[917601]

Pics better than words, not one speck of rust after a week in the Amazon basin.....