These areas were consolidated with B-72 resin for protection and to saturate the colour. All iron hardware from the body was removed, where possible, for mechanical cleaning. Most of these elements were cleaned with air abrasion and walnut shell dust. A fine dust at 25 psi can remove corrosion and the oxidation layer from secure paint without actually removing any of the original paint layer. Tannic acid treatment and consolidation with B-48 followed all cleaning procedures.
Alkaline glycerol is a chelating agent that removes copper corrosion products.
It is effective on the discolouration of nickel plate due to corrosion of underlying copper alloys. This treatment is preferable to polishing, which actually removes plating material and which can dislodge loose plate. Simply polishing the surface also does nothing to address the reason for the discolouration or loss, namely corrosion of the base metal. The chelating agent must be thoroughly rinsed to ensure no further reactions and then consolidated to prevent further contamination from handling or exposure. This acts on copper much like tannic acid does on iron corrosion products, forming stable compounds on the surface.