Patch puller

[PArebel]

Hi,
I was detecting in VA in Jan and found some canister rounds in my searching. The other night I was cleaning them and noticed a piece that was covered with rust but was not a canister round. Cleaned it for a little while by electrolysis. Still did not know what it was so took it to work to show some friends who use muzzleloaders. They said it is a patch puller. The two little prongs are pretty much rusted but still there. There is a hole in the middle which I guess is how it is attached to the ramrod. Question to the experts. How do I preserve it? I would guess if I continue to clean it, the prongs will dissolve to nothing.
Any help would be appreciated.

[PArebel]

Hi
I see many people have viewed my post but noone has replied. I am sure this is Civil War as I found it near some Union trenches.
I put the patch remover in a small jar with cotton and sprayed WD40 on it. Do the experts think that was the right method to preserve this piece?
Have a nice day.

[fortbball9]

Pics would be nice

fortbball9

[Hutch911]

I had a few Iron relics that where falling apart in the E tank and I just dried it out really good and coated it with a clear polyurethane.

[cwdigger]

All the patch pullers that I have seen are so small that I cant belive it made it throgh electrolosys with falling apart, I dont know that there is anything you can do with an item like that. Post some pics and we may can give you a better Idea.

Cw

[d2]

Maybe it's a "wiper". They were used to pull bullets with and they were somewhat the same form as a patch puller. I would guess, with out a picture, that it's a bullet puller...d2

[PArebel]

Thanks for the replies. In the past I have tried to post pictures on the White's forum. One time the post worked, but all the other times I tried to put other finds on, the computer kept telling me I was doing something wrong. Very frustrating as I am not a "computer person". Will be gone for a couple days and when I return will attempt to post a picture.
Thanks