Cleaning of Imperial EKs

[EK Hunter]

Can anyone recommend a safe and effective way to remove rust and/or grime from an EK core? I'm hoping there's a way to do this without further damaging the core's paint or finish. Also, are there any tools and cleaning products that would serve this purpose. Thanks for your input.

Best,

Alex

[Roglebk]

Hi Alex, don't like dirty and rusty cores one bit but try to mess with them as little as possible.

This is what worked for me so far.

Dirty cores: Softest brush possible. Good tools are brushes used for cleaning archeological artefacts, painting, makeup (Rogue), toothbrushes. In very tight spots a wooden toothpick, like those triangular pointy ones.

Greasy cores: Electrical cleaning spray. Does not harm the paint, lifts the grease off and leaves no residue. Sometimes together with a brush.
Water and mild soap works too, but cross needs to be dried a long time on low heat, i use a hairdryer.

Rusty cores: Only kill "new orange" rust. Use gun oil, applied with a qtip or for small areas a soaked toothpick. More rust the longer time on. Never left it on for more than 1-2 days, remove it like the "greasy core" above.

Repainted Cores: Pisses me off big time. Use Acetone, again on a q-tip, which only seems to remove new paint and not period one. This is as a last resort of course, only used it 3 times so far.

In general Blued/Blackened/Browned cores is not as delicate as the painted ones when it comes to cleaning and the B/B/B attracts rust more easily.



Most important! Get pics before and after! If you ever sell a cross that has been messed with you better tell the new owner about it!

[streptile]

Honestly, Carl's tips are really good ones.

I use gun oil and a very short-bristle paintbrush for rusty cores. There's no reason to let rust continue to eat away at a core.

There is a real difference between, for example, Imperial headgear collectors, and cross collectors. The former often clean and restore their pickelhauben fully, whereas there is a certain stubbornness among the latter, many of whom say, "never touch a cross." I believe that each cross should be evaluated on its own terms. I could imagine a scenario in which I think one could stand a gentle rehabilitation, even a repair. I once bought an EK1 that came with an awful repair to the pin, and the original pin hardware that had broken off, loose. I didn't see any harm in restoring the original pin (for example). However, I think it's very possible to go too far with a cleaning; I recommend always erring on the side of undercleaning. You can always return to it later, but you can never put a patina back on.

[EK Hunter]

Sounds like these are proven methods. Thanks for the sound advice guys.

Best,

Alex

[EK Hunter]

Just wanted to share my experience in removing rust from an EK core. Actually I had planned to use gun oil but the gun shop I went to strongly recommended Bull Frog Rust Hunter (firearm cleaner and rust blocker). This stuff not only removes rust, it also lubricates, removes dirt and grime, drys fast and leaves no residue. Here are some before and after shots showing my results.

Best, Alex

[Bernie Brule]

That bullfrog stuff seems to work well. Nice cross.