Lead Disease in Figures

[Franco]

I have two questions which revolve around 'lead disease' in white metal figures.

1. How does one identify the start of 'lead disease' in white metal figures?

2. If a figure has this how can one rectify it?

My have two Poste Miliatire figures which I bought a long time ago. They have 'darken' over the time and now one has developed a small patch of darker grey - It looked like mould when I first say it but is not. If I scratch the dark patch with a file it does come off.

Any input will be appreciated.

Ciao
Franco

 

[Guy]

I recently bought Poste Militaire's Chasseur Chevel mounted kit and upon opening it found it to be covered in "metal rot", as alot of us call it. I took my dremel brush (soft brush) and slowly got rid of the dark flaky areas and then immediately spray primed the whole horse with Floquil primer which seals the metal off. I have found if figures are stored where there is moisture there is a better chance of this happening.

I had a Series 77, 90mm figure in the same shape years ago and after priming the figure I painted it. The "metal rot" has never surfaced again after being sealed with primer.

Hope this helps.

 

[Einion]

Ciao Franco, lead rot or lead disease is made of lead acetate and once the process has started apparently it's very very difficult to prevent it continuing as it's a self-sustaining reaction. The good news is that for many years casting metals* have rarely had any lead in them (probably none of them do now because of restrictions on the sale of lead) so whatever we're seeing it's not this.

Originally posted by Franco+Dec 13 2005, 06:17 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Franco @ Dec 13 2005, 06:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>1. How does one identify the start of 'lead disease' in white metal figures? [/b]

If you did see it you'd know it immediately as lead acetate is white and powdery.

<!--QuoteBegin-Franco@Dec 13 2005, 06:17 AM
2. If a figure has this how can one rectify it? [/quote]
This oxide layer or whatever it is we get on older metal figures is easy to clean off from what I've seen, I just brush over the figure with a brass-wire brush (which I forgot to include a picture of in the thread on basic tools!) which is part of my standard cleanup procedure for metal figures anyway. The fine scratch pattern you get isn't visible on the painted figure.

Einion

 

[BillW]

Hi Franco

My best cure for lead disease is to soak the affected items in straight white vinegar for about 10 minutes, and then rinse with hot water and let dry. The vinegar is acidic and does a very good job of getting everything off the figure that shouldn't be there.....and it's also supposed to lightly etch the surface to give a better hold for primer.

I use this method on all the metal figures I do, and there has been no forming or recurrance of the disease on anything I 've treated this way. I keep a bottle of the vinegar on my bench.

Good luck.

Bill

 

[Franco]

Guy, Einion and Bill

Thank you very much for your help - I feel a little better that I can keep my splendid Poste Mil. figures etc. and give them the wire brush/vingear medicine.

Thank you for your kind input.
Ciao
Franco

 

[Einion]

Originally posted by BillW@Dec 14 2005, 12:14 AM
My best cure for lead disease is to soak the affected items in straight white vinegar for about 10 minutes, and then rinse with hot water and let dry.

Hi Bill, I know this is one of the traditional 'cures' but if one did have an old lead-based figure it would not stop the problem since it begins as lead acetate - made from acetic acid - reacting with the lead.

The acetate reacts further with carbon dioxide in the air to form basic lead carbonate (this is essentially how the pigment lead white is made commercially) which releases acetic acid and continues the reaction.

But since we don't have lead in figures any more we don't have to worry about this

Einion