Jump to content

Question on Glue removal from Medals


Sivart
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have a medal grouping I would like to clean up. The medals were glued to a velvet backing years ago but they have come loose and have quite a bit of hard residue on the medal backs. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

 

Travis

post-2876-1260740533.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

collectsmedals

I had a similar problem with some medals and used a product called "goo-gone" with good success. I would avoid getting it on the ribbons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Captainofthe7th

I'll second that. Goo-Gone is amazing stuff. Up here in New England you can get it at a place called Christmas Tree Shops... we've always got a bottle in the pantry, it works on just about anything.

 

Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try the "universal solvent" (water) first. Wrap the ribbons in a paper towel or tissue, then encapsulate in a sandwich bag, tying tight around the suspension loops with a rubber band. You might get lucky and the previous owner might have used a water-soluble glue (like Elmer's).

 

The try water first, followed by the Goo Gone. The next solvent going up the scale might be alcohol, then mineral spirits, and lastly lacquer thinner.

 

If the glue residue is hard and glassy, it might flake off using a tooth pick on the edges. If the residue is soft and rubbery, it might rub off using a gum eraser or your thumb. If you're getting good results flaking most of it off, a drop of WD-40 allowed to soak around the remaining spots might loosen / break the bond between the medal and the glue allowing the rest to flake off too.

 

The medals look like the type with the "bronze" finish sprayed on, so testing to see if the thinner will affect the finish first would be wise. Use a little as possible by wiping with a cotton swab moistened in the thinner of choice.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll second that. Goo-Gone is amazing stuff. Up here in New England you can get it at a place called Christmas Tree Shops... we've always got a bottle in the pantry, it works on just about anything.

 

Rob

 

To chime in, it is a citrus based product that can remove basically everything and it has come in handy with pretty much anything. I'm sure WalMart or Target carries it, and if it isn't near you you can get it online.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Misanthropic_Gods

that Goo Gone is some amazing stuff, I use it all the time. I dont think it will damage the finish on the medals, but try it on a small part that isnt easily seen first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tips, I ordered some Goo Gone but it hasn't arrived yet. I decided to attack it with some H2O like SGM (ret) suggested and it did a pretty good job. Some of the really dark residue wouldn't come off, but I am hoping the Goo Gone will take care of that.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions

 

Travis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So after some work with a soft toothpick and a combination of water and Goo Gone, here is the result. This glue was pretty thick in some places and when I got it off it seemed to have eaten away the bronze finish of the medal. Even with the Goo Gone, some of the residue on the GCM refused to come off and I didn't want to start chipping away at the medal. Thanks again for the advice.

 

Travis

post-2876-1262204025.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...