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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2008 0:14:38 GMT
I feel a little embarassed to ask this because I sold Windlass products for 4 years, but here it is:
Anyone know of a method for removing all of the poly coating on Windlass products?
For years, I have always just used elbow grease and fine steel wool, which does a good job - up until you are working with finer details, intricate furnature, around the the blade base, or around the grip.
In short, it there something I can slap on a toothbrush and work this crap off? I have tried everything over the years without result - even though paint thinner or acetone is suppose to get it off, it seemingly does not.
Any advice?
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Post by hotspur on Oct 10, 2008 0:22:03 GMT
If you give fingernail polish remover (acetone) a chance to work on it a bit, it really should. I have used automotive brake cleaner to remove it from a sword that I had actually put many times the original coating on in clear laquer. Some folk use steel wool or fine papers.
A green kitchen scrubby soaked in acetone or paint remover (or automotive brake fluid or other auto products such as brake cleaner, carb cleaner). I just used drenched paper towels and took off the original and my many layers pretty quickly.
Cheers
Hotspur; many have just gone the abrasive route
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2008 11:48:22 GMT
I've always used the tried & true "00" steel wool method. For the hard to reach area's......a small parts cleaning, brass brush or emory cloth.
Cheers,
Bill
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2008 13:17:39 GMT
I use emery cloth. It kills 2 birds with one stone, getting rid of that mirror polish as well. If you do find a much easier way, please let us know.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2008 14:53:37 GMT
I picked up the last new Windlass Medieval Short Sword (Oakeshott Type XIV - their version of the Del Tin 2140) a friend of mine was holding onto at his cutlery business. I wrapped it in acetone soaked rags for about 2 hours. Still had to grind away with ye old steel wool to get the gunk off.
I don't know if anyone else does this, but in order to cut down on the mirror polish of the Windlass items, I treat the blade and steel fittings with a chemical cold blue (found at Wal-Mart for about $4.00 a bottle), give it a cold water bath, then oil it. After this, I can steel wool the grade of patina I want on the weapon. Done properly, the weapon ends up a muted grey with silver highlights from 'wear'.
Anything brass gets a vinegar/salt spray down. Once it turns green (after several days of spraying), I patina it with the steel wool adding wear here and there.
The great thing is that all of this will polish off with Maas and steel wool. I have not gotten brave enough to dull a blade's finish any other way myself.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2008 20:54:19 GMT
Ok, I have mastered the way to do this following a little advice from Hotspur.
Here is what I did for 100% east removal:
Take your Windlass poly coated weapon and give it a mummy wrap in rags. Tie the rags to the contour of the weapon's steel with postage twine. Soak the rags with plain nailpolish remover. Let the weapon sit for 5 mins on one side, flip it over, resoak the rags, and let it sit another 5 mins.
Take off the rags, wipe off the coating. Once the weapon is dry, use fine steel wool to hit anything you might have missed. Getting the whole sword done took me less than 10 mins worth of work.
In the past, I had soaked my steel wool in acetone and tried rubbing it off; which does not really work well. Soaking for a few minutes seems to work wonders. I wish I would have know this 10 years ago. I could have made 10 scabbards in the time I have wasted scrubbing this poly varnish off my Windlass weapons.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2008 0:29:38 GMT
Be VERY careful using that much acetone anywhere around a flame or spark! Enough acetone to soak rags puts a lot of vapor in the air. Best to do this outdoors or maybe in a garage at most. The pilot light of a stove or water heater could set off a big bang! Even hitting a light switch could do it.
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Post by rammstein on Oct 13, 2008 1:30:23 GMT
Be VERY careful using that much acetone anywhere around a flame or spark! Enough acetone to soak rags puts a lot of vapor in the air. Best to do this outdoors or maybe in a garage at most. The pilot light of a stove or water heater could set off a big bang! Even hitting a light switch could do it. +1 and thanks.
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Post by hotspur on Oct 13, 2008 1:37:59 GMT
I'll have to check my can rack here to see whether it was brake cleaner or carb cleaner I had been using that time I did my one I had liberally coated with more laquer.
The water heater kaboom reference brings back a funny garage story to mind. 1970s Jay's Motor Service, Boylston st Boston, MA.
The theory was that an area of the floor should be washed with gasoline, so that it could then be painted green to be the paddock area for the racing team and the Formula Vees. Poor kid was sweeping gasoline right across the floor towards the hot water heater. I wasn't there but from others telling the story the next day, it was pretty amusing to everyone but the kid who had been elected to get the job done. He still had all his hair, so I guess it wasn't much more than flashing off the suface before it went out. ;D
Yes, always read the backs of cans and stuff. When I was a kid, I blew up a gallon of grain alcohol with my buddy down the street. All the moms in the neighborhood wondered until I showed up at home with no eyebrows. Ah, she says. We thought it sounded like it came from the Powell's back yard (it had though been louder than our usual carbide booms).
Cheers
Hotspur; well ventilated
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2008 2:16:05 GMT
I should have mentioned this, but I did mine outside on the picnic table. Sometimes, I forget to mention some safety precautions because I am so used to doing things myself with lessons already learned. ![:P](//storage.forums.net/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png)
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