I’ve a few pieces of iron that may or may not be valuable antiques. They include odd tools, cookstove lid lifters, Ford wrenches ,John Deere stuff and items like that.
I’m wanting to maybe use them in displays and perhaps offer them for sale.Some may just be useful as they are. Some just may be collectable.
I’m wondering about the proper way of cleaning and preserving them.Some have deep rust others are just red with rust. Others are nickel plated which is deteriorated.
So, any antique dealers or restorers out there?
I do a lot of this kind of work at the museum.
It’s really hard to say without seeing the pieces in question. If you’re concerned about value, I would have them examined by someone at your local museum or historical society for advice before proceeding.
Generally, the best rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning antiques is to do as little as possible and always make sure any work done on the item is completely reversible.
Sometimes, when a piece is unpainted iron (like a piece of cookwear), we use a product called Nevr-Dull (which is a cotton batting soaked in a tarnish/rust removing oil). It takes forever, especially if the rust is deep but it’s the least likely to leave scratches on the item. Afterwards, rinse it using mineral spirits and then buff the item with a light coating of mineral oil. (Making sure to get as much of it off with the buffing as possible.)
When it comes to plated metals, we usually use a toothbrush and mineral spirits to remove any surface dirt and then buff with mineral oil. With these items, it’s sometimes better just to halt the rust’s progress than to try to remove it, because removing it would also remove more of the plating.
When it comes to items that are painted, you want to proceed very cautiously top revent further paint loss. Generally, the best idea with these kinds of items is to carefully wipe off any surface dirt with a soft rag dampened in mineral spirits and then buff with mineral oil as above.