"Blue Wonder" and Metal Clean-Up

February 10, 2011

During the course of quite a little surfing, I came across this thread, on another forum.

The author of the topic had a lot of good advice on preservation/restoration:

We often get questions on these subjects, so I will lay out some basics. This info applies just as well to many other types of militaria.

Many bayos need no cleaning at all, or at most just a rubdown with paint thinner on a soft, clean cotton rag to remove surface grime, old grease, & oil. Paint thinner [mineral spirits] will also dissolve cosmoline.

I use brass hobby tubing with flattened tips to get cosmo & grease out of tight spots such as where the blade meets the crossguard. Cotton swabs work well for getting cosmo & grundge out of mortise slots.

If a steel scabbard is full of cosmo, fill it with paint thinner & set it upright in a vise with non-marring jaws overnight, then pour out the fluid.

Save the fluid for re-use. Put it in a sealed container & the solids will drop to the bottom. When it gets too dirty, dispose at a hazardous waste station (chemicals, petroleum products, & solvents dumped outside work their way into your water supply).

Wooden dowels from the hardware store, cut to handy length, or gun cleaning rods, work well to swab out any remaining residue. Scabbard throats secured by screws can be removed to facilitate cleaning, but be careful not to mar screw slots.

Unless you live in a humid area, it's actually not necessary to use any grease, oil, or other protectants on metal.

If you do feel the need for protection, a good quality semi-paste floor wax will provide a clean, dry

moisture barrier.

I squirt a little of a non-evaporating "dry" metal protectant like LPS III inside mortise lug/press stud assemblies if they are not already greased, to keep these freed up. Work the stud a few times to distribute the preservative.

Leather can be surface cleaned with a slightly damp, soft cloth. Saddle soap can be used for extremely grimy leather, as long as the leather is not excessively dry & fragile.

Leather needs treatment only if it shows signs of cracking or flaking. The best treatment is hydrous lanolin, available from your pharmacist.

Warm the tube in hot water until the lanolin liquefies, then apply two coats with your fingers. Repeat about once a year. Lanolin has less of a darkening effect than any other oil or grease-based preservatives.

Neatsfoot oil is not recommended. It has a softening effect but lacks any known preservative qualities. It also causes extreme darkening.

Dry treatments like microcrystalline waxes are used on leather by some collectors & museums, altho these are more expensive.

Display & storage of bayonets & frogs:

Avoid areas with sudden extreme changes in temperature & humidity.

Keep items away from air conditioners, moisture, heat sources, direct sunlight. Normal room conditions are best. Do not store in attics or cellars.

This is a topic that often comes up re bayonets & other militaria. My most often-used tool is the Gun Bright Pad, available from midwayusa.com

These long-lasting alloy pads remove rust without harming blue, & will not scratch any type of steel.

If you are very careful, you can use up to Medium grade steel wool in areas where original finish is not endangered, but rub lightly, examine your work frequently, & do NOT go all the way down to bare metal. Medium grade is ONLY for fairly heavy rust, otherwise Fine or Extra Fine is better. Soak rusty areas overnight with a coat of Ballistol (the German Army oil, 1910-1945) from cap-n-ball.com/ballistol

Spots or small areas of corrosion can be safely removed with the edge of a brass washer or mouth of a brass cartridge case. A brass brush from the hardware store is also handy.

It is traditionally acceptable to many collectors to buff/polish edged weapons. The results can be pleasing on a piece that shows age but little or no use. I will not go into this technique, however, because i've never used it.

It requires skill & knowledge to polish an item without harming it, & is not appropriate anyway for pieces that have "seen action". A polished bayonet with nicks, dents, & bumps will never look new, only like an old bayonet that somebody tried to make into something it isn't. For these pieces the principle that "what's old should look old" is the best motto. All they need, at the most, is a careful light cleaning.

All many bayonets require is a wipedown with paint thinner on a clean rag to remove surface dirt & grime.

As for chemical rust removers like Naval Jelly, these generally have no place in collecting, because they will etch the steel surfaces. They have some limited use in removing heavy active rust from dug relics.

Hand rust removal can take time & patience, but the results are worth it. You might want to work on a piece a little bit each night instead of trying to finish the whole job in one sitting. Rust never sleeps, but it doesn't go anywhere either, so there's no big hurry!

Dave L.

Collecting Spanish, WWI-WWII East Euro, & Oddball & Unidentified Bayonets

Later in the thread "Blue Wonder" is mentioned/recommended:

boys- please try a product called "blue wonder" it comes in a tube is non toxic. it will blow you away with how it works, does not harm bluing either. try it.i salvaged a rust 1912 with it.

The name was kinda catchy, and I had never heard of it; nor did a forum search here turn up any mention, so I looked into it:

Quickly Remove Rust with Blue Wonder™ Gun Cleaner...

Apply Blue Wonder™ Gun Cleaner to rusted areas and work in with “0000” steel wool or a brass brush until the rust is loosened. (This will not harm the bluing!) For heavier rust, work gel in and let sit for 5 -10 minutes. Wipe areas with a clean, dry cloth and apply quality gun oil to prevent further rusting.

For bare metal areas where harming the bluing is not a concern, Blue Wonder™ Gun Cleaner may be applied with more abrasive products such as ScotchBrite™ abrasive pads, more coarse steel wool, steel brushes, etc. (Use caution as these type abrasive materials will affect the surface finish of the metal and strip any existing bluing).

To deep clean rust from the pores of metal, first, clean the areas following above instructions. Then, apply another coat of Blue Wonder™ Gun Cleaner to the areas and “while the gel is on the metal”, use a propane torch and heat the areas to about 130 degrees Farenheit. (Remove or protect wood, plastic or composite components!) Heating the metal while the gel is on it, draws rust particles and residue out of the pores. While still hot, work the areas further with steel wool or brush and wipe clean with a dry cloth. Apply quality gun oil, Blue Wonder™ Disotec XFR, to prevent further rusting.

The product looks very interesting. I'm going to be getting some. Also, it's advertised as non-toxic, which is a big plus. Besides, it's also designed to be a bore cleaner:

http://www.bluewonder.us/BlueWonderGunCleaner.html

http://www.bluewonder.us/BlueWonderGunClea...structions.html

Looks like Midway carries their product line:

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#blue%20wo...-_1-2-4_8-16-32

And Gun Brite pad, as mentioned in quote;

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?prod...oductTabReviews

Several other good tips are also mentioned in reading through that thread.