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Antiques restorer wants to protect original finish on cast iron

We have found a two-wheeled coffee grinder, circa 1900, all cast iron with some original paint and lots of dirt and rust. Grinder restorers generally sand blast and repaint ending up with something gaudy and new. Cast iron toys are more cherished by the quantity of original paint finish remaining. That is what we want. How do we clean off the dirt and then the rust with as little damage to the paint as possible?

Guy Clow
antiques restorer - Fairfax, California, USA
2003

You can try ammonium citrate solution (pH 3,5---5% water solution, temp 2 deg. C). Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Zagreb,Croatia
2003

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