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-----:Cleaning a classic cast iron weigh scale
Q. Hi,
I have an old cast iron Salter's NO 50 scale with a brass face that needs some cleaning. It was used daily in the restaurant I work at but now the boss has gone digital so I have acquired the scale and would like to clean it up. What should I use that will remove the built on grime without affecting the working mechanisms inside.
Thank you for any answers
hobbyist - Blind River, Ontario, Canada
2007
Antique Scales on eBay (affil link)
A. Hi, Lorraine.
Any brass that you can reach can be cleaned with a brass/copper polish. There are a hundred brands but
Barkeeper's Friend ⇨
seems to be good balance between fast-acting and leaving that warm glow. Brasso
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] probably leaves the warmest finish but may be slow on heavy tarnish.
For the cast iron parts, I think I'd use light Machinery Oil
[affil link]. You don't want to use anything that removes all of the oil or it will very quickly rust! ... although if you're willing to re-do it frequently you could use museum wax
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link]
to avoid oil.
If you're taking the innards apart, try to determine whether they originally used oil or grease (oil plus a soap to thicken it so it stays in place). The same machinery oil can be used for those innards, or probably most any automotive grease
⇦ on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link]
you can find.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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