My son just found a very old antique clothes iron ( the kind that would be put on a stove or fire to get warm to use. Before electric ones came out. It weighs around 20lbs No wood on it, its all one casted material). We are thinking its cast iron.. it has to be some kind of iron. Suprising its not extremely rusted. We can kinda read the writing. We would like to clean it up if possible.. What would we use to safely remove the rust to restore it? Thank you
Thank you :) We were hoping to remove just a little bit of the rust. Just enough to be able to read the markings better. But I didn't even think of lessing the value of it.. even though we keeping it. Thank you so much for your advice and that reminder!
Unless you intend on using the iron, do not clean it. It actually lowers the value to remove the natural patina of age. But, since it is likely not a highly valuable antique, I suppose cleaning it won't be such a horrible thing. Here is a good site for cleaning antique rusted cast iron:
http://iantiqueonline.ning.com/profiles/blogs/cleaning-ru...
Coca Cola--has to be the real Coca Cola. My sister had a dog leash--an old one when they were made of links, and it cleaned it by leaving it over nite. No scrubbing or anything. It was so rusted you would have thought it was red or brown. I think she changed the Coke to make sure it was bubbly. You coould try it if there are no non-metal parts. Based on how you describe it--one forged piece--should be fine.
Tinfoil works on plumbing...
Sandpaper.
Also home improvement centers, have rust removers.
Try asking them.
"Unless you intend on using the iron, do not clean it. It actually lowers the value to remove the natural patina of age."
Couldn't say it better myself. Anything you do will actually diminish the value. If you don't care about the value everything I've read here does work. With sandpaper start with low grit and go up till you are using the metal grade stuff that is black. But more than likely you pry have a kinda cast iron one in the first place and that was from a mold and the iron isn't and never was smooth anywhere so it'll be very noticeable that you fixed it. You could also give it a nitric acid bath. Always a fast way to remove rust but it takes away the entire level that is on the surface, rusty or not. But I don't think I'd recommend that to someone who doesn't already work with metal.
But I've been "antiquing" since I can remember. My husbands grandmother even owned a huge antique mall. It's still my family's hobby even. Anyways, if you don't care about the value then mess with it but to be honest I'd just leave it alone. It's called a rustic antique. Rustic's are actually very collectible but .... only when not altered.
