Vaseline works a miracle on a Westwall medal

[CWP]

Some months ago I bought this medal becdause it came in a packet that I wanted. Unfortunately it had been stored in a damp place and corrosion had ravaged this late war zinc piece. Powdery white oxidation obscured the details, really very ugly. In this condition I would assign this medal a value close to zero dollars.

[CWP]

I usually leave everything I get alone and do not try to clean things, effect repairs, or otherwise "improve" my pieces. I had read about Vaseline treatment of medals with zinc pest but had avoided doing so, I know that Vaseline can attract moisture over time and do not know what the potential long term effects of this treatment might be. But recently I was putting together a display that included the packet for this medal and having the ugly rotten medal there detracted from the display. I figured that the treatment in this case certainly could not worsen the appearance of a medal that had already been nearly destroyed. I coated the medal in Vaseline and let it sit 24 hours, then removed the vaseline with dish detergent, warm water and a soft brush. The results were astounding.

[CWP]

The formerly dusty and corroded surfaces now appear smooth, hard and clean. Even some traces of finish on the edges were revealed when the corrosion was gone, and the details of the award can once again be seen. It has gone from being an eyesore to a decent example of a late war zinc award. In the future I won't hesitate to use this treatment for corroded zinc objects.

[Scott C.]

Well done - an amazing transformation.

[AndyC]

Great done, did you use regular vaselin?


Andy

[MusRep990]

Man thats amazing! thanks for sharing!

[pdawg1911]

Remarkable - I had no idea the results could be that dramatic. Thanks for sharing.

[luftkrieg]

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing these amzing results with us Chris!

Kind regards
Pierce

[Chet Sowersby]

Chris,
Nice job of saving a bit of history. The darker colored awards always seem to show the best results when using vasoline. I've seen some outstanding results on bronze PAB's and IAB's in the past.

Chet

[Tim B.]

Nice job Chris!

If the zincpest starts to return, you may have to reapply again once or twice, but it seems to become slower to return after a few applications.

Tim

[sasktraveler]

thanks

Thanks for the tip. Will be trying this on some itms I have!

[Ron Weinand]

Once Zn pest is removed, I find that a LIGHT coat of Olive Oil will keep it away by sealing the surface. Remember Vasoline will attract dust and this is where the moisture and contaminates come from that allows Zn pest to return. Also, it will trap moisture, so after cleaning I use a hair dryer to rid the surface of any remaining moisture PRIOR to the use of Olive Oil (virgin BTW). JMO.

[CWP]

Thanks for the feedback. I used regular Vaseline, 100 percent petroleum jelly. I have read that zinc pest is a condition caused by inherent instability in the alloy composition but that zinc can also be affected by oxidation caused my moisture, a sort of rust corrosion. In any case I will be watching this medal for any further changes.

[Rommel1933]

I really like this thread.. great before and after pics of something I have always wondered about. Thank you for taking the time to share... ohhh and that medal looks great!

Thank you, Scott

[JasonA]

Chris - great thread, interesting fodder for discussion, and thanks for sharing!

It was prudent of you to test this on a medal that was for all practical purposes, completely oxidized and valueless. The results are astonishing. The key here will be how this medal fares over the next few years based upon your treatment, because I suspect that some will now attempt this treatment on medals that may not require or greatly benefit from it.

Thanks again,

J-