To Clean Or Not To Clean?

[dean]

What is the generally accepted opinion concerning the cleaning of antique lamps? There are safe, commercially available products on the market that restore the lustre of lamp bases and sockets. Is this is a popular practice? Is there a cultural divide concerning restoration- do European collectors of antique objects differ from their North American counterparts? Do most of my fellow collectors prefer restored lamps for display- or does the original patina lend more authenticity? On another note- has anybody heard of the possibility of filament restoration?

[Chris W. Millinship]

On the subject of cleaning bulbs- well I will always clean the glass if it is dirty- using a common window cleaner spray and a soft cloth. Remember to keep away from paper labels or you`ll ruin them- hence I don`t just spray onto the bulbs if any labels are still there. More stubborn stains like paint- a dab of paint remover does it but be careful cos it`s nasty stuff and burns your fingers- wear gloves and apply a small bit with a Q-tip (cotton-bud here in the UK)

That gets them all shiny up top, but as for the bases, well I did polish up a couple of bases once using "Brasso" brass/metal polish however it left them looking unnaturally shiny. Nice, but just not right really. So aside from cleaning grime off with that very same window cleaning spray (or paint stripper again- it won`t harm brass), I tend to leave the bases showing their natural age. Careful of plaster or raw porcelain- the colour of the window cleaner spray (if it is strongly coloured) can soak in a bit and discolour it slightly. Porcelain can be cleaned with paint stripper though, but not fibre and probably not plaster- try not to get those ones wet.
Nasty corroded ones, well I`m still thinking on that (and don`t have many like that thankkfully), but I`m sure there`s a way of getting the corrosion off without too much problem and filament-damaging vibration that a Dremel type polisher might do.


And to filament restoration- your idea is not as daft as it might seem to some people- I`ve considered that myself. I paid far too much for a wonderful turn of the century ruby-red carbon lamp last year. It was shipped all the way over here from the US and arrived with the previously intact 2-loop thick anchored filament damaged. It had broken off in the middle at the central support.
I suggested to James H (another forum member who has access to some lamp making equipment) about repairing it. My suggestion involved keyhole surgery through the tip- cut it off and use a fine hook shaped wire (or something similar), to manouver the broken end of the filament back to the central support where it broke off, and then inject a small blob of carbon paste onto the break- the stuff used to anchor the filaments- essentially glueing it back together. Then it was a simple case to attach a new exhaust tube, pump out the air and seal it off and presto- one working bulb again!
And it seemed like a viable idea. But there are a few important concerns. Firstly, the hole in the tip is so small that probably only one "tool" at a time could fit in. Secondly, carbon paste skins over very quickly in only a few seconds so should a bit be applied to the support/break first, you would have to work fast to then manouver the end of the filament in place- and it takes about 15mins to set so you`d be stuck there holding it for ages making sure it didn`t pop out again.

Then the big one. Different types of glass expand at different rates. The glass used for the new exhaust tip to seal it off with would have to be matched (expansion-wise) to the glass the bulb was made of- and this is difficult if not impossible to get 100% right without damaging the bulb. There is a risk that if the exhaust tube glass has a significantly different "expansion coefficient" to the bulb, it will contract too much, or not enough, on cooling and crack the bulb! All that hard work for nothing.

So I would say that although it could be done (for carbons whose filaments break at anchor points at least) it is very tricky and time consuming- and you`d run the risk of losing your precious lamp altogether. I think personally (especially having since had the postal insurance pay up for what they did to my bulb) it isn`t worth it. Let damaged filaments drive your collecting onward to one day find an intact specimen.


(look- I seem to know what I`m on about for once!)


   

[Bob Masters]

To clean or not-to-clean ?
The glass: By all means cleaner is better. Take care not to disturb
Any Identification (Labels, etching) or any colored lamps that are
Coated, rather than the type that have truly ?colored glass?. Most
coated bulbs will have at least some place exposing the clear glass
underneath. Chris is right-on though. Be gentle and use only a soft
cloth and mild cleanser. Some stubborn stains can be moved without
scratching the glass by scraping very lightly with a razor blade, but
use extreme caution not to scratch the glass. I?ve had bulbs lightly
spattered with paint and each little spot of paint was successfully
removed one-at-a-time this way??but with caution.

The brass: I prefer a nice soft mellow and uniform patina or ?tarnishing?
That occurs naturally over time. Corrosion is another matter. If the
Finish is unattractively ?splotchy? or otherwise obviously corroded
And/or pitted, then a good cleaning might be justified. Again, I think Chris
Is right on using Brasso. It is slightly abrasive so use discretion whenever
Polishing.  Take care not to disclor or damage plaster or porcelain.
Glass insulating material is generally in no danger of being damaged.

Don?t underestimate the significance of those paper labels on the glass.
Never damage the label on any lamp in any way whatsoever.

[ALM]

My thoughts are:  It depends on the circumstances.

SELLING:  If you are selling, certainly cleaner is better, to some extent.  I am deathly afraid to handle my bulbs any more than usual.  So, in the interest of presentation, I clean the glass to the best extent possible, staying away from the base & labels, and exercising extreme caution around pointy tips.  Those who are interested in buying them should retain responsibility for cleaning them to the extent necessary for their satisfaction.  Lord knows, if I (you) screw it up before selling it, you've made it worthless.

BUYING:  From my perspective in buying, cleaner is better, but, as detailed above, don't screw it up.  If you have some doubt as a seller, best to err on the side of caution and not clean it unless you know what the hell you are doing.

KEEPING:  I don't clean them.  I'll break them.  Some people like any antique to have an "antique look," and from what I've seen from appraisers (often times - the Antiques Roadshow) - cleaning items (depending upon item) actually hurts the $$$ value of the item.

[Tim]

All good tips and advice. Now, has anyone figured out the trick to cleaning up the old outside frosted / acid etched bulbs? Seems as if any discoloration on the glass is impossible to remove (for me anyway). I have a few that I'd like to get looking like new again, and have several worthless ones that I'll experiment on if anyone has any suggestions.

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-Tim
BulbCollector.com
DewCollector.com

[Chris W. Millinship]

Now, has anyone figured out the trick to cleaning up the old outside frosted / acid etched bulbs? Seems as if any discoloration on the glass is impossible to remove (for me anyway).


Yes that is a tricky one. Window cleaner does little. Bathroom cleaner spray doesn`t do too much either. I wonder if the good old paint stripper would do anything? I`ve a couple of dud frosted ones here too- I`ll see about paint-strippering one tomorrow and see what happens. It shouldn`t hurt the glass at all but might eat into any dirt. A gentle scrub with a soft nailbrush might get it out then- but I`ll see about that. Again though, it would destroy paper labels so you best be extremely careful around them!

One thing it would be wise to check is if it is actually acid frosted or is an applied coating over clear glass. I`ve a tipped globe shape tungsten lamp here that appears to be outside-acid-frosted but actually on closer inspection, it is a tough frosted-effect paint coating. It has a slight yellowish tinge at the top- maybe discoloured by the heat or perhaps once all yellow and faded?
Not sure how common they are though.....


   

[Tim]

quote:Originally posted by Chris Millinship:
Again though, it would destroy paper labels so you best be extremely careful around them!

Ya true, and I guess putting my sand blasting nozzle to the bulb @ 100psi is out of the question then.   I'm going for that deep down shine you know  

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-Tim
BulbCollector.com
DewCollector.com

[ALM]

quote:Originally posted by tim:
Now, has anyone figured out the trick to cleaning up the old outside frosted / acid etched bulbs? Seems as if any discoloration on the glass is impossible to remove (for me anyway). I have a few that I'd like to get looking like new again, and have several worthless ones that I'll experiment on if anyone has any suggestions.

I've found that taking a power disc sander to the frosting - until it all comes off - and then taking a butter knife and a can of vanilla "Betty Crocker Ready To Spread Frosting" works pretty well.

I've a few Bryan-Marshes I can afford to mess around with.  I'll report back to you.

First attempt - CLOROX!  I'll let you know later.

[Carl Wright]

This is not about cleaning of a bulb but on repairing of a loose glass. I have a bulb that is loose from the base would it be OK to put a little super glue on this bulb? Would it ruin the value of the bulb? I have done this to a Edison bulb that was made in 1929 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the light bulb and you can not see the glue.

[Bob Masters]

Carl,
That's a great question, why don't we get a "New Posting" going for that one though to keep the two subjects separate ? I've got a few suggestions to add to it!

[Bob Masters]

Back to the Etched glass cleaning.........Hmmmmm.........I sure don't know what to do but experiment a bit if it's coated, but if it's etched, then how about that acid you get from pool places ? It's a solution of Hydrochloric acid and, although highly corrosive to metals, does wonders for pool linings. Makes even the most stubborn rust and calcium stains simply vanish. It is very dangerous if used improperly and NEVER in a poorly ventilated area. Ha Ha Ha.....you shoulda seen me cleaning my pool though........wearing old blue-jeans, and donning a full respirator helmet borrowed from a firefighting buddy, I also had arm-length heavy rubber gloves and rain boots.
............but it worked like a miracle.

Perhaps a dab on a Q-tip to experiment ?
Oh, it's the same thing too that's used to clean concrete before applying any kind of coating or tiles....there's another name for that stuff dangit ! (Brainlocked<

[ALM]

Muratic Acid?  (Spelling may be incorrect.)

[Bob Masters]

Ha Ha Ha.........thanks ! Muratic Acid is the name I couldn't think of !
Oh......it does nothing to glass either.
But It'll eat anything else darned near !

[ALM]

It's typically used to clean concrete...  Stains off of patios, garage floors, etc.

[Chris W. Millinship]

I`ve been trying this stuff we use in work recently, called Computer Solvent. It is an aerosol spray (with one of those directional capiliary tubes like WD40 cans) solvent that dissolves grease, ink, adhesive residue- that sort of thing, and is designed to clean up computer cases. They often have a texture similar to acid frosteds bulbs that dirt just clings to. Anyway it seems to be quite effective at getting fingerprints, dirt, etc off those precious frosted bulbs and although not perfect, works better than glass cleaner spray and isn`t near as dangerous as paint stripper (still not tried that- I`m a bit hesitant to do so) or acid (eek!).


We get it from RS components (in the UK) but they mainly deal to trade users only. I`m not sure where to find it in the real world, perhaps Radio Shack (do they sell cleaning solvents- PCB production aids, that sort of thing?) other electronics suppliers who might sell "service aids" or places that sell computer accessories and that sort of thing. There might be a simpler alternative they have, perhaps cleansing wipes for computers that have a similar effect. That might work.