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General And Slightly Off Topic Talk Forum for exchanging ideas and talking about general issues without straying too far off topic.

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Old 04-21-2012, 04:30 PM   #1111
Sergei
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Re: How to store medals

Looks nice and clean. The only time my heart skipped a beat was when you mentioned toothpaste but apparently that did not do any harm?
I do not believe you could have taken off goldplating using your technique.
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Old 04-21-2012, 04:41 PM   #1112
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Re: How to store medals

As the medical types say "First, do no harm", as my mentors at the Smithsonian said "Do nothing that cannot later be reversed", and as I say (too much?) "These things aren't OURS, to do with as we wish, they only legitimately BELONG to the original recipients -- tred and act and mutilate softly".
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Old 04-21-2012, 05:46 PM   #1113
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Re: How to store medals

As I have awards groups to both living and dead recipients within the collection, I like to ensure that all the awards are preserved and stored in such a way that if the recipient were to ask for their awards for a parade later that very day that everything is in a state which would honour the person and the awards. Many times awards fall into a poor condition when neglected by whoever has it in their hands. Also as the recipient and awards age the loving maintenance can not always be given.

If we look at veteran participants in commemorative and annual parades they almost universally are very well turned out with very well maintained awards.

I was once given a group of Medals by a two wars, two campaigns veteran who at the time had no interest in ever wearing them and had been neglected and abused for 3 over decades. The ribbons had been disposed of around the time of issue and the "coins" thrown into a drawer of a tool box. As you can imagine they were in a very dirty, sorry state when they came into my hands. I very carefully removed all the junk that had caked on them - fortunately no corrosive chemicals had come into contact with them during their misadventure. This was in a period before the internet too (remember that?), so I had to put some effort into getting new ribbons. After 3 years of slowly cleaning the Medals (removing so much dirt then seeing how it reacts to the air etc.), I was surprised to find that the Medals actually looked very fresh, no serious damage and the silver came up dazzling. It was only after the Medals had been cleaned of all the mess on them that I actually remounted them. If only I had before and after pictures. I then framed the Medals with the recipient's veteran association Badge and cap badges of all the units they had been assigned to (after buying replacement period pieces as the originals were disposed of). At this time I showed the recipient the results of the cleaning, mounting and framing and he was moved. He had never had any intention of even acknowledging that he was veteran of the conflicts he had been a part of and had very much turned his back on that chapter. He was so inspired by the renovation of his awards that it inspired him to actually seek out participation in the celebrating of commemorative events during which time he "borrowed" his awards from me to proudly march with them on his chest. His awards, alike nearly all in the collection, are in a constant state of preparedness to be warn by their recipients at any time.

Sometimes parts have to be replaced; worn out ribbons, broken rings or snapped suspension pins. When I replace any of these items to ensure the items are "ready for action" I retain the original damaged parts with the renovated piece so the complete story can be presented.

I think the Sergeant Majors of the Royal Chelsea Hospital have a similar opinion.

The Russian Federation has their Medal "For Merits In Upholding The Memory Of Fallen Defenders Of The Homeland" and as of February 2012 all Great War (and previous conflicts) veterans have fallen, so it is up to those of us who remain to uphold their memory, honour and prestige.

Storage and Maintenance of Awards are just two of the responsibilities of this particular hobby. You also have the preservation of groups and saving items for the smelters to name but 2 more.

Not quite the same as "spotting" as a hobby.

I wonder what percentage of Soviet "Patriotic War" awards will still exist in 2045, 2445, 2945 and still be ready for "action" in a parade?
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Old 04-22-2012, 06:38 AM   #1114
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Looks fine, the "pink" will go within a few months. I've "played" with different clean techniques and the pink always turns back to the original colour after exposure to air.
Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear

Does anybody have experience in cleaning with baking soda?

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Looks nice and clean. The only time my heart skipped a beat was when you mentioned toothpaste but apparently that did not do any harm?
I do not believe you could have taken off goldplating using your technique.
Sergei
I used toothpaste to reduce friction when I brushed the medal with a toothbrush to remove the dirt. But maybe it's not the best idea, although it doesn't look like toothpaste could have had any effects on the medal.
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Old 04-22-2012, 06:43 AM   #1115
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Re: How to store medals

I certainly do. I'd only use it on blackened silver myself. If a piece of silver is truly black you can mix it with a few drips of water into a paste and it removes the discolouring with ease.
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Old 04-22-2012, 07:04 AM   #1116
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Re: How to store medals

I have one of those super-soft "baby's first" toothbrushes that I use gently when needed.
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Old 04-22-2012, 08:45 AM   #1117
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Re: How to store medals

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I certainly do. I'd only use it on blackened silver myself. If a piece of silver is truly black you can mix it with a few drips of water into a paste and it removes the discolouring with ease.
A classic silver cleaning trick. If you have strong patina on silver due to silver sulfite do the following. 1/2 liter hot water, 4 small bits of aluminium foil (kitchen foil) about 2 by 2 cm each, 1 tea spoon of table salt, a bit of soda (not really necessary but helps). Proportions are more or less arbitrary. Put everything in a bowl, immerse your silver in there so that it touches aluminium foil. The thing begins to stink due to released sulfur. Give it a couple of minutes. The patina will be gone. Silver remains on the surface (basically, the silver is recovered from the sulfite).
Works wonders on table silver, silver necklesses. I tried it once on a silver medal, was not impressed with the outcome, the surface is dull.
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Old 04-22-2012, 09:01 AM   #1118
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Re: How to store medals

Many of these chemical tricks may be fine for silver tableware, but will do irreversable damage to medals. And, frankly, I have little time for the arguments about what the original recipients did to their medals. That was their business and they were worried about keeping the NCOs happy, not about long-term preservation for temporary custodians like us. The preferred method (written into regulations) for polishing silver medals in the late-19th-century Indian Army was to scrub them with a mixture of wood ash and lemon juice. I have had chemically literate friends explain to me what this did and it will make your toes curl. But, then, until recently, many of the primary medal wholesalers in India would soak silver medals in battery acid. Yeek!
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Old 04-22-2012, 09:02 AM   #1119
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Re: How to store medals

I've found that doing that method with the salt is far from the best way. The salt often just moves and redeposits the mess elsewhere. As well as leaving its own salty residue.

There is the "Qwicksilver" plate. I own one (and have for about 5 years) but have not yet used it. I will be using it on unimportant silver items before anything important. That is once I'm mobilised to use it which may not be in the near future.

Certainly lots of options out there with varied success for various ailments.
The answer is never "polish" though.

I also must admit to having used an industrial grinder whilst restoring portable pieces of militaria in the past due to condition.


I have a 1916 German helmet that saw action in the Great War, then was used by the infant SS, painted over paint for many years then used as a wash bowl then plant pot for years and years which I purchased for a minimal outlay. I have been stripping and renovating it on and off for the last 2 years. I've used files, electric tools, hammers, chisels, screwdrivers and various chemicals and I think in a year or two it will be fully restored from a "relic" to a "fresh" 1916 Helmet. Maybe ready for its 100th birthday?
I know putting all my free work into it would be far cheaper than buying it ready restored. So far it's only cost me a couple of blisters.

Sometimes the tough love works.
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Old 04-22-2012, 10:08 AM   #1120
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I soaked 40 years anniversary in water with a bit of lemon juice for about two hours. It certainly cleans, but it also made the plating color very bright, almost white. Does anybody know if the original color is supposed to return?

Quote:
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Many of these chemical tricks may be fine for silver tableware, but will do irreversable damage to medals. And, frankly, I have little time for the arguments about what the original recipients did to their medals. That was their business and they were worried about keeping the NCOs happy, not about long-term preservation for temporary custodians like us. The preferred method (written into regulations) for polishing silver medals in the late-19th-century Indian Army was to scrub them with a mixture of wood ash and lemon juice. I have had chemically literate friends explain to me what this did and it will make your toes curl. But, then, until recently, many of the primary medal wholesalers in India would soak silver medals in battery acid. Yeek!
I agree with you. My goal is not to make medals look fresh, but I want to preserve them and I hate to see crap like verdigris, rust, and dirt on nice awards.
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