Hi everyone Somewhere under all of that rock-hard dirt and oxidization is nickel plating (actually the camera flash seems to make it look better than it is). I'm loath to just launch straight in with chrome cleaner because it's too easy to rub the nickel down to the brass and this is not a common lamp. Does anyone know of any solution that might soften the dirt up first without damaging the nickel? Cheers Trevor
I would try gun oil, here we have »Ballistol«. It removes soot, dirt and other residues very well. Or try simply water and soap first...
The best thing I have found is Kool-Aid, the small packets without the sugar. It's a good source of citric acid and cheap to boot. Mix three packets to half a gallon of water and soak the fount for about 10 minutes. Hit it with some Mother's afterward and it'll cut through the softened oxidation. It is an acid so be sure not to soak it for too long.
Thanks for all the replies. I find the ultrasonic bath great for cleaning vapourizers etc., but if there are weaknesses or damage in the nickel plating (around the rim of the base where it would sit on the ground for example) the bath will loosen the surrounding plating and even knock pieces off. Speaking from experience there. The gun oil sounds like an interesting possibility, especially because there's a gun shop not far from here. Failing that I'll try a weak acid solution and watch carefully... Cheers Trevor
