Major Z Posted November 2, 2015 Share #1 Posted November 2, 2015 I have a few enlisted collar discs that have oxidized over the years with the usual green crud showing on the front. Now, I used Brasso many years ago when I was a new soldier and I realize its effects on metal. My question is what is the attitude or outlook of the collector community on using it to possibly blast away years of patina? I have tried carefully using dental picks to remove the oxidation but it hasn't worked. I'm thinking Brasso is the way to go, but I wanted to get other opinions before applying it to 80+ year old discs. I'm not planning on selling any of them, so perhaps its okay to go forward? If there are other suggestions of other means of cleaning I am open! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted November 3, 2015 Share #2 Posted November 3, 2015 I personally wouldnt, however i would use a product called Wenoll. I use it on my trumpets cause it doesnt remove metal just the dirt and gunk... its used by many musicians and antique collectors. heres my grandfathers collar disks I polished for his uniform not as bad as you say but an example. (ive used it on old copper pipe and it looks brand new)beforeafter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra 6 Actual Posted November 3, 2015 Share #3 Posted November 3, 2015 Jake, is that Wenol (with only 1L?) ... Comes in a metal toothpaste-style tube, made in Germany? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted November 3, 2015 Share #4 Posted November 3, 2015 Jake, is that Wenol (with only 1L?) ... Comes in a metal toothpaste-style tube, made in Germany? not sure was a long while back i did it, could be yes sir that is the one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skautdog Posted November 3, 2015 Share #5 Posted November 3, 2015 WWIIJAKE, Thanks for sharing Wenoll. Does it leave residue and powdery mess like Brasso? Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted November 3, 2015 Share #6 Posted November 3, 2015 WWIIJAKE, Thanks for sharing Wenoll. Does it leave residue and powdery mess like Brasso? Ken it does leave a sort of film, as you can see in the after picture im wearing gloves. it will turn your hands black and leave an oily film but nothing washing your hands wont fix. as for the item you polish, touching it once rubbed off will leave nothing on your hands. if you get it somewhere where you cant get it out it will turn to a white crusty substance. but i love it, cause a little goes a LONG way. it is also super simple to use and you dont have to rub hard so no hand cramps... but if the item will be handled alot the shine will dull in a month or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted November 3, 2015 Share #7 Posted November 3, 2015 You can also use toothpaste to clean off the verdigris. But don't over do it. Ronnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 3, 2015 Share #8 Posted November 3, 2015 I once used some Brasso wadding to clean up a rather dull-looking WW2 stamped brass collar disc. After a little light application I noticed a kind of two-tone effect appearing. It turned out that the disc must have received a coat of clear lacquer and the polishing was not only removing the crud, but also the lacquer too! I couldn't leave it that way so I had no choice but to carry on and polish away the remaining lacquer. Thankfully, the end result looked just fine. I've no idea what percentage of WW2 collar brass received a coat of protective lacquer, but some certainly did, so be aware of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 3, 2015 Share #9 Posted November 3, 2015 I never clean, polish or slather preservative on any of these items. The age and patina are what make them attractive and interesting IMO, and these products typically do more harm than good. In some cases "cleaning and preserving" will actually ruin the item as a collectible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 3, 2015 Share #10 Posted November 3, 2015 This "to clean or not to clean" issue always divides collectors. I generally agree with the preservation of a 70+ year old patina, but there are some instances whereby cleaning can aid preservation...it depends upon the nature of the "dirt" and the item in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra 6 Actual Posted November 3, 2015 Share #11 Posted November 3, 2015 Jake, thanks again: Wenol it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted November 3, 2015 Share #12 Posted November 3, 2015 I never clean, polish or slather preservative on any of these items. The age and patina are what make them attractive and interesting IMO, and these products typically do more harm than good. In some cases "cleaning and preserving" will actually ruin the item as a collectible id agree in most cases, kind of like coins. you polish them and the value plunges. but in some cases polishing can be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Z Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted November 4, 2015 Thank you for all your inputs. I've never heard of Wenol but I may have to look now. This issue is only affecting maybe four or five of the dozens of discs I have. I may go ahead and use the product to stop the spread of the problem. I will be honest that I tried toothpaste in this case already but the results were less than satisfying. But, I shall persevere and give this new one a try. Thanks again for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gap Posted December 4, 2015 Share #14 Posted December 4, 2015 I ruined a few discs with brasso. Takes off the coating and leaves a yellow sheen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gap Posted December 4, 2015 Share #15 Posted December 4, 2015 I ruined a few discs with brasso. Takes off the coating and leaves a yellow sheen. Flitz too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted December 4, 2015 Share #16 Posted December 4, 2015 if you must polish something... this will do it without taking off too much. http://www.btibrands.com/product/metal-magic-cloth/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted December 4, 2015 Share #17 Posted December 4, 2015 for reference... heres 2 that i polished with Wenol. the one engineer disk was heavily polished by my grandfather in the 50's. they were all polished by me about 3 times last time over a year ago. you can see which i have handled quite a bit. excuse the dust on them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted December 4, 2015 Share #18 Posted December 4, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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