Fighting Lead Rot

[Mister Frau Blucher]

I found four other figures that needed some attention. All the others look great, so I am very happy with this remedy for lead rot.

Pix and 3.146 paragraphs of bloviation here:

https://swordsunderdistantsuns.com/2021/02/27/combating-lead-rot-part-7/

But the short of it is, I did not wash off the solution from these eight dudes after working on them. I got to thinking that on Martin's blog he did not mention washing it off, just letting it dry for a week. So maybe it keeps on working on the bloom as it dries? We'll see.

So pending what happens with these eight figs as they dry, it looks like this is a real solution to lead rot.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

 
 

[Mister Frau Blucher]

So I am now working on some rot in my painted figures. Not that my paint jobs are particularly worth saving, but I want to stop the lead bloom, of course, and see if any painted areas can be saved.

It was mostly successful. You can read about it on my blog, if interested.

https://swordsunderdistantsuns.com/2021/03/25/fighting-lead-rot-on-painted-miniatures/

The solution did little harm to the paint jobs on three of the figures, and they'll just need some touch up where the rot was bad.

The worst figure was a different story. She was painted back around 1982, and it looks like I may not have primed her. I included two pix below. One of her before the process, in all her bloomy glory, and then after scrubbing and a two-day soak in the mixture followed by more scrubbing. She'll need to sit in simple green, as her paint is beyond hope. At that point, I am hoping that she won't need any more attention, as I don't want to use the wire brush, but I may if the damage looks really bad after she emerges from her soak.

[JollyBob]

That's interesting, thanks. 

I had seen a lot of people saying the best way to prevent lead rot is to paint the figures, so I am surprised (perhaps naively so) to see that it doesn't actually guarantee it!

[Hammers]

That's interesting, thanks. 

I had seen a lot of people saying the best way to prevent lead rot is to paint the figures, so I am surprised (perhaps naively so) to see that it doesn't actually guarantee it!

I think what they mean is that you need is a solid coat, like a few layers of lacquer.
 

[Mister Frau Blucher]

That's interesting, thanks. 

I had seen a lot of people saying the best way to prevent lead rot is to paint the figures, so I am surprised (perhaps naively so) to see that it doesn't actually guarantee it!

Hey, JollyBob,

I think I made several mistakes when I painted this figure way back when. It doesn't look like I primed her, because there is none around the base's edge. Leaving that bare, as well as the bottom of the base, was a mistake. I am not sure of the exact science, but evidently that gives the rot a "way in." I am not sure I got a clear protective coating over this figure, either; though that may not have protected the bare metal.

So I THINK painting a figure will protect it...if it covers every bit of surface. The other painted figures I showed in my blog post had paint all over them, except the bottom of the base - so there was exposed lead. But then again, the bloom showed up on surfaces that were painted...so it's still a bit of a mystery to me.

I am just happy that the 50/50 mix of pure gum terps and white mineral oil seems to get rid of the bloom (fingers/shoelaces/eyebrows crossed...).