Rock Matrix stuck to Lighter. How did I do?

[Ant]

I found this lighter and as you can see it had a matrix of gravel, small stones and iron adhered to it. It was really stuck on, like permanent. The area that was found is hard on all metals. Maybe the lighter fluid caused some kind of reaction to cause that.

To clean it I had to blast it with a low pressure water-jet. The palm held pictures are the last of three stages of water-jet treatments. After that I had to use a drill to mill the rest off. When I get more time I might detail it with my Dremel tool. I didn’t want to use solvents or oils because it might have loosened the paint. As it was, some paint was lost anyway.

Now I have a question. Do you think the rock matrix would have come off better with the olive oil treatment (without loosening the paint)?

HH

[viper771]

what you did seemed to work pretty well. I had the same prob with some stuff I found.. had iron and sand kind of attached to my relics. I don't think the olive oil would of really done anything in this case.. electrolysis didn't even remove that stuff on my relics. I had to carefully chip it off with a dental pick. But if there is an easier way id like to know as well

[TreasureTales]

Read this in a magazine a few years ago. It did work on one thing I dug out of a parking lot--the thing was covered in thick, coarse asphalt.
I stuck the thing in a ziplock bag and then stuck it in the freezer. I left it there for a couple days and it froze solid. Then I took it out and before it could thaw out, I wacked it a couple times (moderately hard) with a hammer. The asphalt came flying off in small chunks. Turned out the thing in the asphalt was only a memorial cent!!!! I don't know what would happen if this procedure was used on something more pliable, like the lighter.

Your cleaning process seemed to work pretty well considering where you started from.