TOPIC:

Mike,
I am aware that Goddard's Silver Dip is used by alot of collectors to restore brilliance. But, in case I did decide to restore any silver medals to 'parade standard ', which products would you recommend for polishing?

I have previously used Renaissance Wax on WW1 medals which had to be cleaned due to bad verdigris. Which is apparently used by museums and seems Ok apart from a strong parrafin aroma!
I have not used Renwax on any QSA/KSAs.

Cheers Steve

I use a silver dip and then a polish called Flitz which is made in Germany which might be easier to find here in UK...... I had to purchase mine in Canada from Amazon..... Once I used it will last for years, I have some medals that have been untouched for up to 10 years, and I have central heating with natural gas that has a sulfur content which causes the tarnishing.....

Mike

This might be useful.

It comes from "conservation advice" issued by the Australian War Memorial Museum.

Personally, I don't clean medals unless old polish residue needs to be removed because it is causing damage.


Cleaning medals

You may need to clean or even polish your medal before storing it.

However, we don't recommend polishing unless absolutely necessary because the repeated abrasion of polishing will damage the sharpness of the medal’s design. And polishing will quickly remove the gilded layer from gold-plated medals (for example, the Victory medal). Also, some polishes contain silicones which stay on the surface, making the application of a protective coating difficult and later cleaning more drastic than usual.

Note that when cleaning medals you should wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Some of the chemicals are harmful if they touch the skin or are inhaled. Do not smoke when working with paints or solvents. Work out what you need and assemble everything before you start work. Allow enough time to work slowly and carefully, and to finish the job. For each stage of cleaning, first try the cleaning method on a small and inconspicuous area of the medal, for example part of the edge. If you are worried the treatment is harming the medal - stop.

First, take the ribbon off the medal by cutting the stitching, not the ribbon.
Degreasing the medal is the next step. This is done by dipping it in a small jar of acetone (available from your chemist or hardware store) and wiping it with a cotton bud. The acetone will remove most lacquers used to coat the medal. Using a soft child’s toothbrush moistened with water, work the brush gently in small circles to remove surface dirt. Work carefully, rinse frequently, and stop if the brush causes any scratching on the medal’ssurface.
If you think it necessary to polish the medal, use Hagerty's or Goddard's silver foam for silver or plate. Ensure that the foam does not contain silicone. If foam is not available, use Silvo silver polish or even silver dip. As silver dip etches metals, use it only if foam or polish is not available. Follow the instructions on whichever product you use. Make sure you remove all traces of polish after you finish - old polish residues look unsightly and can cause corrosion. Then dip the medal in methylated spirits and wipe it dry with cotton buds. Do not use Brasso to polish copper and brass medals. Brasso is more abrasive than silver polishes, and will remove more metal and design details. The polish residues left from Brasso can be very difficult to remove.

www.awm.gov.au/about/our-work/projects/medals

..

Thank you all for your input. I know it is a much debated subject. In the picture the 4 pieces in the middle are examples of the patina and aging that I find pleasing and am inclined to leave them be. The 2 pieces on the left are examples of ones I am waffling about cleaning. They just look "meh".... The 2 on the right are pieces I dipped in the Goddard's (a non-abrasive liquid tarnish remover that is quite nasty smelling!) to see what would happen, and they look much better than they did before. They were almost as black as the 2 on the left before their bath. Oh well, I'll ponder it a bit longer, but I think I'm starting to lean towards giving them a bath as well.

I have some Flitz as well, I use it on my steel kitchen knives when I fail to dry and oil them properly. I guess I shied away from trying it on the medals because of its "all purpose" nature. I thought going for something specifically for silver might be safer. The little hardware store down the street had the Goddard's, and I picked it because with a clear jar, I could tell it was a liquid and not a paste.

Cheers!