Help! Help! Rust On My EK!!

[Chris Taylor]

Just pulled this one out & noticed it looks like the rust is getting worse.
What can I do?

What's the best way to treat rust on an EK core?

I'm afraid to try & brush or rub it off, because there's going to loss to the black paint. I suppose I'm going to lose some anyway, there's no way around it.

Help!?!?!

[keifer kahn]

Hi Chris,
1)Ring 911.Not for the ek but for you if you think you are prone to heart attacks if you cant stop the "ferrous patina"
2)stop wearing your ek in the bath.


Get some rust converter from a car accesssory section(where they keep body filler and the like) and dab some,using a q-tip on the affected areas.
Most modern rust converters go black.
You could also try just a tiny bit of similar finished black paint.tamiya model paint is ok and easily removed.It comes in flat black,semi gloss,and gloss.You will find something to use.
These are the best ways i know without compromising the remining paint.
Also buy a hygrometer(temperature and humidity gauge)and ensure you keep you collectibles in a 65% and under humidity range.
In fact if you can put the affected ek in a 65% and under room .The rust will stop naturally.
If you live in the tropics,id be thinking about a dehumidifier.

regards keifer

[ChrisJ]

Good Advice from Keifer.

I DO live in the tropics, and during the summer (wet period) I store my collection in a safe with a 1 Kg bag of silica gel. Absolutely no problem with rust......if you are getting rust then you must control the humidity, and maybe think about a change in your storage/display method.

Regards,
Chris

[Chris Taylor]

Thanks Keifer for the great advice.
I'm going to look for some rust converter this afternoon & from there see about the paint.

I don't live in a humid area like Chris (I live in a valley that at one time was essentially a desert) but occasionally we have a breif period where the humidity rises & there's a thunder storm or two. I'm going to add some Silica to my storage case anyway, as I already have Silica packets in my display cases & so far so good there.

Thanks again guys.

[Mark S.]

as it is now, you have an original cross in poor condition.

If you start dabbing rust converter on it, you will have an original cross that has been mucked with. You will see the rust converter after drying, it will be as obvious as dabbing paint on the spots.

Whats more, you are only seeing maybe 10% of the actual damage caused by the rust. Since you only came in to contact with the visible rust, the rest will continue to spread under the black paint. Eventually you will have more spots to deal with.

Since a messed with cross will always be a messed with cross, and the manhandling will be non reversible, I think you should ask yourself it you really want to go down that road to begin with. You might as well just mask off the frame and sandblast it, then repaint it. That rust converter is going to stand out like a sore thumb anyway. Extreme, maybe, but I am not aware of degrees of manhandling .. it either is or it isnt.

PS..wait until you find out how much that converter stuff costs too...you cant buy it a thimble full at a time....after considering the cost of the product, the diminished value of the cross when youre done, you would be better off just selling this one, and just getting a better one.

[Peter Wiking]

I use a system with a clothbag filled with Silica, at the size of a orange. The clothbag rests on plastic bucket that collects the water. That system will last 3 month before one has to replace the Silica. There is always a bit water at the bottom of that bucket, so it looks like it works. I keep this Silica system close to where i have the awards.

Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[John G]

I agree

I agree here...a messed with cross is just that...messed with.

Try getting a little WD-40, spray some on the end of a Q-tip and dab at the rust sections. You will not be getting rid of the rust, but you won't hurt the cross, and if your rust is just "surface" rust you will have stop its spread. You will have to continue treating it with WD-40 every once in a while, but I've done this before and the results are pretty good.

John

as it is now, you have an original cross in poor condition.

If you start dabbing rust converter on it, you will have an original cross that has been mucked with. You will see the rust converter after drying, it will be as obvious as dabbing paint on the spots.

Whats more, you are only seeing maybe 10% of the actual damage caused by the rust. Since you only came in to contact with the visible rust, the rest will continue to spread under the black paint. Eventually you will have more spots to deal with.

Since a messed with cross will always be a messed with cross, and the manhandling will be non reversible, I think you should ask yourself it you really want to go down that road to begin with. You might as well just mask off the frame and sandblast it, then repaint it. That rust converter is going to stand out like a sore thumb anyway. Extreme, maybe, but I am not aware of degrees of manhandling .. it either is or it isnt.

PS..wait until you find out how much that converter stuff costs too...you cant buy it a thimble full at a time....after considering the cost of the product, the diminished value of the cross when youre done, you would be better off just selling this one, and just getting a better one.

[Brian S]

Good Advice from Keifer.

I DO live in the tropics, and during the summer (wet period) I store my collection in a safe with a 1 Kg bag of silica gel. Absolutely no problem with rust......if you are getting rust then you must control the humidity, and maybe think about a change in your storage/display method.

Regards,
Chris

Chris, I use a bank safe deposit box for most of my stuff. But I also have a very very low heat humidifier in a safe. That forces the humidity out but only raises the temperature a couple of degrees.

[Chris Taylor]

Thanks Mark, you make a very good point & one I've been contemplating myself.

I'm not one to take messing with an original period item lightly, whether that item be a WW2 German EK1 or a piece of 1890 antique furniture. I know once you start messing with the original finish or paint on any item, 99% of the time the value only goes down compared to an "unmessed with" item.

My first option here is to stop the rust without altering the originality of the cross. Is there some way to do this?

If not, then I'm left with option #2- sell it. Which isn't really a big deal as I have several EK1's.

Just trying to decide which option I'm goin to take.

[Brian S]

What about drying it with a hair dryer and putting a little vasilene on it to seal it???

[Chris Taylor]

Great ideas guys.

Peter- I like the looks of this Silica system & I'm going to try this out in my storage safe at home.

John- I considered the WD-40 method, but from the looks of it there might be some "spidering" of rust under the finish. Any ideas on this?

Brian- I too have most of my valuable items in a safe deposit box. How well does the Vasilene work compared to WD-40?

[Tim Tezer]

WD-40 may evaporate over time. Gun oil or mineral oil might last longer, but will leave a visible shiny residue on the core. That's better than having it rust away, though.

The spidering under the paint is pretty common, and I don't know that any of these solutions will really fix it. WD-40 may penetrate under the paint, but I wouldn't force the issue. Just coat it with whatever oil you choose and leave well enough alone.

Tim

[ChrisJ]

Chris, I use a bank safe deposit box for most of my stuff. But I also have a very very low heat humidifier in a safe. That forces the humidity out but only raises the temperature a couple of degrees.

Yep...thats not a bad idea, Brian.

[keifer kahn]

Rust does not form under 65% humidity as i stated in my original post.This is a fact that any professional conservator will tell you.
So if you wish to stop the rust with out adding anything to the surface of the cross,modify the environment you store them in.
Rust needs oxygen/moisture to start and continue.If you deprive the environment of one or both elements,then you dont get rust.If you put an item that already has rust in a 65% humidity or less environment,the rust will stabilise and go inert.It will then go dark brown and then almost black.

I wouldnt put any type of oils or vaseline on paint.We are talking paint not metal laqeurs like on badges.The metal content in finishes on badges is impervious to oil but the paint used on ek cores isnt.
Leave some oil on a patch of paint.Come back in a couple of weeks ,wipe it off and see what has happened.Its just like spilling petrol on paint and not washing it off straightaway.
As for rust converters,it is obvious to me that some of you dont keep up with industry trends and improvements.Older type converters left a shale type skin on top of the rust.The modern ones dont.Rust convertors also turn the rust back into metal.Isnt that part of what you are trying to achieve?.

Either way,the ek has rust or is going to have covered/repaired rust.I dont see anyone offering any solutions where the paint actually grows grows back.

As for the "if you are going to touch it up,you may as well sand blast it and spray the core" .
Historical items,like paintings,statues.etc are continually touched up to conserve what remains of them. If only 10% of the paint is affected,why wouldnt you try to conserve the remaining paint?.
The statue of David was recently cleaned,with the removal of years of accumalated crud.I suppose a good idea,now that has been touched,would be to sand blast it and spray it in dayglo orange.I mean its been touched,its not original anymore.
I really dont know how any way could equate sandblasting and respraying with modern paint,the same as trying to conserve what paint remains.

But then again,ive noticed that some people on here value more their "mint","looks like it was made yesterday","never actually seen a german soldier","Get it out of the paper bag for the first time in 60 years"" looking items,than worn ones that were actually there.

But what ever floats your boat i suppose.Mint without character sinks mine.

[Brian S]

I would agree with modifying the environment. Even if you keep your collection in a drawer or cabinet you can add a heater designed for such use and force the humidity out of the environment. Cylindrical tube heaters can be purchased that run at a very low level and will not start a fire.