Cleaning Pocket watch covers.

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I found this cover a few weeks ago. Should I try seperate the 2 pieces? If so, what method should I use? Soak it in Olive oil long term?
It's a good piece for me to experiment with. Heavily crusted in fine gravel.

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If it was me Id try the low impact olive oil approach to start with mate, something like a ultrasonic cleaner could work but that hinge system looks fragile in the pic..

Husky
 
Could try a short bout on the electrolysis to loosen up the oxidation, though would definitely keep a close eye on it if very brittle. The ultrasonic cleaners are great for removing crud from hard to get places - like in between the two halves of the cover, though tend to be not so good at removing heavy oxidation. :)
 
I've had some things in olive oil for many years with no result at all sometimes,.... you could use a tooth pick to loosen some bits up after the olive oil soak,.. then repeat the process til happy RJ(some of my stuff is still soaking as I've never got the chance or inclination to get back and finish them all off) :)
 
Ramjet said:
Thanks for the replies. Not sure I would risk electrickery at this point. I don't own an ultrasonic cleaner, are they very good? I guess into the oil it goes.

I just got a cheapy from jaycar, does a good job of cleaning soil off finds, and cleaning jewellery so they are sparkly and new. Anything really oxidised will require some electrikery, manually picking off the coating, or if not too valuable, a rock tumbler does wonders on the less fragile items - mainly coins.
 
silver said:
I've had some things in olive oil for many years with no result at all sometimes,.... you could use a tooth pick to loosen some bits up after the olive oil soak,.. then repeat the process til happy RJ(some of my stuff is still soaking as I've never got the chance or inclination to get back and finish them all off) :)

My missus detected a horse shoe a while back, it has been sitting in a container of olive oil now for 3 months - still looks the same, just oily. :D
 
Goldpick said:
silver said:
I've had some things in olive oil for many years with no result at all sometimes,.... you could use a tooth pick to loosen some bits up after the olive oil soak,.. then repeat the process til happy RJ(some of my stuff is still soaking as I've never got the chance or inclination to get back and finish them all off) :)

My missus detected a horse shoe a while back, it has been sitting in a container of olive oil now for 3 months - still looks the same, just oily. :D
Old fellas used Mollassus and Water,... 50 water to 1 of mollassus,... although others say 3 to 1,...(this is for rusted steel). ;)
 
There are some things that can't go into molasses(my spelling fixed),.. I'm sure aluminium disappears in it,.. not quite sure of other things. :) but I do know steel and iron clean up in it. :D
 
Mollasses I havnt used before though its been reccomended to me for all sorts of restoration work ( I restored stationary engines for a little while ), but I used milk as I had no friend with a horse to get mollases off. Milk creates a bacteria similar to mallases and it helps to eat and loosen gunk. If you use milk it goes chunky and curdled and :8 barf

Electrolysis worked on large iron parts in a bath of sodium carbonate

I once fixed an old shelf clock which was siezed. I don't know if its great to use, but soaking it in homemade ethanol for 24 hours certainly loosened all of it. I could see visible wearing or eating of anything but I'm sure it would corrode something so use a small dab first if you were to test it
 
Once you turn to the dark side and start detecting gold nuggets Ramjet, a sonic cleaner is an essential bit of kit. ;)

I use mine all the time for cleaning coins and relics, it is great. Some delicate but cruddy items I have given a quick dip in olive oil or Alibrite and back into the sonic cleaner. I repeat several times for a better result. Alibrite strips brass and plated items quickly, so I tend to use it only on items of curiosity that I don't want to preserve the look

I got mine off ebay second hand, as new for a steal. They come in store occasionally at ALDI as well.
 
Wally69 said:
Once you turn to the dark side and start detecting gold nuggets Ramjet, a sonic cleaner is an essential bit of kit. ;)

I use mine all the time for cleaning coins and relics, it is great. Some delicate but cruddy items I have given a quick dip in olive oil or Alibrite and back into the sonic cleaner. I repeat several times for a better result. Alibrite strips brass and plated items quickly, so I tend to use it only on items of curiosity that I don't want to preserve the look

I got mine off ebay second hand, as new for a steal. They come in store occasionally at ALDI as well.

:D Gold was my first obsession. Just I don't live anywhere near it. 8.(
 
There's nothing scarier than a faulty ultra sonic cleaner.. they go boom and I nearly got a shock while it was shorting out. Be careful of cheap plastic ones in other words

But they work absolutely awesome :) even brought some crystals up but the rubbing caused some scratches :(
 

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