Good Evening to All. I am wondering if anyone can give me advice on restoring a Solex 200C which I inherited from my father-in-law's shed. It seemed a worthwhile object to keep. I don't know if there are parts missing or if it will ever be operable. My first problem is how to get a reasonable shine on the body parts. The photos show what it's currently like. Was it originally chrome-plated? Any suggestions on how to achieve a shine welcome. Brasso? Acid? Grease? I don't want to try anything that might damage it. Thank You.
I’m not sure how much of the original finish will be left on the tank, is it brass or steel? Clean the top as good as you can; with a lot of usage these generally have a bluish tint from the heat, it is a badge of honor for a well working lamp and something to be proud of.
I'd try soap and water first and get as much of the gunk off as possible. Then I'd soak the hood in mild citric acid solution or vinegar and use very fine wire wool on a small section to see what's underneath. If it's made if brass, and it looks like it is to me, I'd clean off the virdigris and find out how much plating is left. You might be surprised. I've begun cleaning something that looked hopeless and found a lovely shine underneath. If it's mostly worn through to the brass you can either take the remaining nickel plate off and polish the brass surface, or maybe even consider re-plating although there would be a cost involved of course. That's just the aesthetics mind you, after that you'll need to look at the functional side and see what it's going to need to get it working again. It's an interesting project whatever you find. Happy fettling.
Welcome ! It’s a nice thing , good luck with restoring If i use vinegar I dilute it and use an old toothbrush to loosen the muck.. It’s just what you find that works for you
Thanks John. I've been onto it with some Brasso and 0000 steel wool. I will see what that and some elbow grease brings. Thanks for your response. Guy.
Thanks ColinG. I was thinking of using petrol to attack the thick dusty grime on the "interior" parts, but I'll give soap and water a go. Hasten slowly. Thanks for your response. Guy.
If it’s a brass tank then it should clean up fine, I thought air saw traces of plating on it but maybe that’s just my old eyes. A good deep cleaning should make it look nice.
Keep the "Brasso" for elephant ornaments and other heavy brass items (it contains "ammonia" which is suspected of causing stress cracking in thin brass items) a polish a lot of us use is (AUTOSOL) I have a couple of Solex lamps (the plating is fairly thin) short soak (15-30 mins) in diluted vinegar A soap and water wash and rinse (you can do repeats if you wish but cannot reverse Nickel loss if you leave it soak too long)