Fighting Lead Rot... New Discussion

[LizC]

Hello everyone. I'm new here... thanks for the. inclusion! Last weekend I was given about 100 antique farm animals and people. I was told that the paint was flaking... got them home only to realize that they were riddled with "lead rot." many pieces were disintegrated beyond repair. Was going to toss them but decided to restore them... online research brought me here.

I am planning on doing a few hour soak in Mineral Spirits and Acetone, which was suggested here. Should I do all my sanding BEFORE soaking or wait until after... completely dried and washed with soapy water.

Any advice would be VERY welcome... I will post some pictures so you can all see what I am dealing with. Hope to bring life back into these pieces.

TIA Liz :-)

[HerbertTarkel]

Hello!

You should get all the old paint etc off first, see what you have left, and then sand. Acetone will take away most of the worst of the stuff - you can use an old toothbrush to clean away the gunk, which will slough off if not already in the acetone.

Welcome and enjoy!

[Panzer21]

I encountered a mild case with some miniatures and hunted around the internet for solutions.

First remove any detritus. I used a cheap wire brush for car repairs with brass, steel and nylon bristles in the pack.
Wear gloves and a face mask. Lead is toxic. Dispose of any bits carefully.

After lots of searches, I opted for the pure gum turpentine and pure mineral oil mix soak. Not long in the mix, leave to dry.
Turpentine acts as a solvent on white lead.
A lot of the "cures" are nonsensical; one suggests treatment with an acid - as it's caused by an acid I'm not sure how this helps!
The turpentine solution gradually accumulated a gritty layer of lead sediment. No problems since although they do discolour.

https://iron-mitten.blogspot.com/2023/10/preventing-lead-rot.html

Neil