Insulator guys, check these out!

[halfdime]

Last week, I was offered a detecting site that really didn't pan out as I'd hoped, but it wasn't without its rewards. At the back of the property in question, ancient telephone/utility poles had been cut down and were rotting away, and many of them still had insulators on them! Now these are probably nothing special (I know they're not, I did my research!), but to find more than five dozen mostly intact and many more broken was amazing! Most are Hemingray 42, though I did find a Hemingray 40 cleaning them up this morning, more are Whitall-Tatum No.1, some others are Armstrongs (All CD 154, except the Hemingray 40, I think) and one that, in this group, is unique: a Lynchburg 44. I'm also picturing an old insulator with initials from a telephone company I couldn't find any information about (a CD 106?). My problem is that the insulators all have a coating like flat black paint, which I can't imagine was applied by humans, and I wonder if their proximity to both railroad tracks and a steel mill for decades applied the coating passively. I've tried bleach, ammonia, laundry detergent and gasoline and nothing gets it off but abrasion. I can't get to every nook and cranny of one insulator, let alone almost six dozen! Any suggestions on how to chemically clean these without all the scrubbing? The Hemingrays and the Lynchburg are a nice aqua, the other don't appear to be clear but I've seen a color "straw" mentioned. Anyone wanting to start an insulator collection...?

 

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[epackage]

Muriatic acid should do it, you can also try nail polish remover first...

 

[halfdime]

Muriatic acid should do it, you can also try nail polish remover first...

That's Hydrochloric Acid in a dilute solution, correct? That should be available at a hardware store, I believe.

 

[epackage]

Hardware stores seem to carry the "Safe" version, pool stores have the real stuff most of the time... Be careful if you use it, make sure to use it outdoors and wear gloves and stay upwind from the fumes...

 

[Dirt.Is.Good.4U]

0000 steel wool works well on glass. Doesn't scratch. You can find it in the paint department of HD, Lowes, etc.

Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Jason in Enid]

Yep, I would try acid to clean them.

Even the common should be able to bring a couple bucks each, so that's over $100 you found. Congrats!

 

[epackage]

0000 steel wool works well on glass. Doesn't scratch. You can find it in the paint department of HD, Lowes, etc.

His whole point was he wants to avoid having to clean them all that way, he is looking for a chemical solution to cleaning them...

 

[MrSchulz]

Toilet bowl cleaner or Hydrochloric Acid works. Wear gloves, a mask, and do it outside or in a well venolated area

 

[Dirt.Is.Good.4U]

His whole point was he wants to avoid having to clean them all that way, he is looking for a chemical solution to cleaning them...

... Just sayin'

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[GreenHorn]

Clean mine with oxalic acid. Much safer and i do it inside. Just get a can of Zud or Barkeepers friend and soak them in a bucket overnight. Clean with one of those green scrubby pads the next day and they'll look pretty good. Some may need to soak little longer than others. The Zud works better, but i cant hardly find it around here anymore. I've literally cleaned hundreds this way..Good Luck, and Merry Christmas.

 

[bottlehunterofcoscob]

Very nice. I know they aren't worth much either but I like them a lot. Good paper weights!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I collected hundreds of old insulators back in the 80's when the old rail lines near my house were being removed. We found a lot that were blackened like that and I always wondered if it was from the soot from the old steam locomotives. We used easy off oven cleaner on most of ours and it seemed to work pretty well.

 

[halfdime]

So far, "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner works the best! Thanks for all the advice.

 

[lastleg]

I'm sure "Works" works but I don't like the fumes. I clean bottles with GO-JO (original). Auto supply houses carry it.
Haven't found a bottle it won't clean and I can do it while watching the tube.

 

[72cheyenne]

I have always used wood bleach, which is oxalic acid in powder form. It can be found in most hardware/home improvement stores.
DAP Products - Repair Products - DAP® Wood Bleach