Thread: Help with W&B etching preservation

I've had luck with Evapo Rust to remove active rust without eating away at etching. Oil and steel wool thereafter and some metal polish for final shine. Lot's of good suggestions here to start.

Originally Posted by ThomasD87

I actually went about cleaning it up earlier. And I'm pretty happy with the results of the clean up.

Surprisingly I was able to keep all the fine detail in it. Even though in the picture it looks like I've lost the details, it's just because it's so shiny in those areas that it looks washed out. There are little lines on the ship that are still visible, even after all of the clean up.

Attachment 275177


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Looking good! Less is definitely more. I used heavy buffing compound with a drill on the tang of a Masonic W&B and accidentally hit the edge of the etching. If I had to do it over I wouldn't have worried so much about getting the etched side perfect.
Seeing some new recommendations I haven't seen discussed before. I will have to keep those mind.