Some science - OLD WW2 Paint cleaning

[HGrenadier]

Hi everyone,

Some science from me today. Here a WW2 transportation case for German StHgr.24 stick hand grenades.

Before the cleaning attempts:


And after with some solvents and solutions...


But which?


And the whole side after:


Here is where trisodium citrate solution was applied...

[HGrenadier]

+++

And finally after the cleaning and washing with distilled water:

[jujuy]

don't really understand what you want to demonstrate
That You personaly can't clean the paint and can't remove the rust?

[jeeeensy]

Correction,, yes you can clean the paint and remove the rust,, and produce a very nice restored item afterwards, have cleaned and restored many myself

Here is a sample clean on a Egg Hgr box,,it is straight out of the ground and a bear in mind this was a five minute clean not a full on clean like I undertake on some objects.


regards Nick

[me6_130]

Unless it is water based paint...always start cleaning with water!! it 's the easiest and most simple way of cleaning dirt

Carles

[Ferdinand W.]

some science - OLD WW2 Paint cleaning

Very interesting - BUT using acetone is quite risky though........

Depending of the condition of the paint, acetone could dissolve it completely and thus destroying it !

So be careful with acetone, I would NOT use it for my items.



Ferd

[HGrenadier]

+++

+ some info if unclear. The final cleaning above is with citrate solution and in the end with distilled water to remove the salts. Water itself gives poorer results as visible from the first pictures. Hope it's clearer now.
PS: Acetone can damage some paints (and plastics) indeed, especially modern acrylic paints, celluloid. Older type of paints (so called alkyd paints on linseed oil basis) are not sensitive to practically any solvent, in case if they are thoroughly dry (probably a month after the painting).