[Christian Henry Tobler]

Hello all,

I've got several pieces of riveted mail to degrease (coif, hauberk, and haubergeon from SN Exports). What's the best procedure you guys have found for doing this?

Thanks in advance,

Christian

[Bill Grandy]

Ironically, I've just started doing this.

I'm attempting rolling the mail around in a buck of wood chips (the same kind used for lining hamster cages). I've been told that works better than sand in that it absorbs some of the excess. I've been rolling it around on and off the past couple of days, and I'll let you know if its successful.

[Christoffer Lorang Dahl]

If it´s serious degreasing you are after, you should try soaking the mail in pain thinner. As suggested a couple of other places here and there, I tried this on my seriously greasy GDFB maile. Left it in for an hour or so, turning it every fifteen minutes. Rinse well with warm water and dry quickly. I tossed mine around in a old towel, before I hung it on a radiator.

It worked like a charm! It doesent get perfectly shiny, but it removes the excess grease and leaves just enough to keep it from rusting.

I hope this helps! And do remember to recycle the used pain thinner.

[Sam Barris]

Here are these two threads from way back: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=7855 and http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=5459

[Ed Toton]

What sort of cleaning are you doing? De-greasing or de-rusting?

I've found for aluminum mail, liquid dish-soap in the sink with generous amounts of water is great.

For de-greasing steel I'll second the suggestion of paint thinner... anything along those lines should work. I've personally used mineral spirits, but thinner, turpentine, even kerosene should do the trick. I've done this in a plastic tub, generous amounts of minerals spirits, and paper towels.

For de-rusting, I don't have much experience (thankfully), but I suspect what others have said about using sand, wood chips, and WD-40 to loosen it up are all probably good suggestions. I also had the thought of using CLR (Calcium Lime Rust, available at hardware stores and smells like rotten eggs) and a wire-brush for rust that's more deeply set in, but you might be marring the finish this way. CLR is good at removing surface rust without messing with the finish by itself, but it won't get into the deeper stuff when just used with paper towels in my experience.

[Chuck Russell]

i wouldnt use WD 40. its water based and makes more of a mess. trust me. its gets on your clothing and its hard to get off.

for degreeceing i have wipped my mail down as much as possibel, the put olive oil on it and put it in the oven at the lowest temp. then played around with it in teh oven getting all the parts. then took it out and wippped it down again.

i've always had luck with sand. jsut roll it in sand several times etc. i now keep my mail in a burlap bag. i kick itaround every once in a while just got "kicks" i haven't had rust on my mail in several years. and before i gave it the sand treatment it was burnt orange with it. as you can see from this picture taken on 2003. http://www.historiclife.com/images/Hastings/2...ans-04.jpg

[Christian Henry Tobler]

Hi folks,

Yep, I'm degreasing some new mail, not removing rust.

I'm going to try some spray degreaser tonight, followed by spraying with water and then a blow drying.

We'd cleaned my student Rob's coif previously with carb. cleaner, and that worked too.

I'll report back on the results.

Oh, and Chuck, I've had good luck with spray silicone as a mail preservative.

Best,

CHT

[Michael Ahrens]

Christian

when i recieved my mail from Von Sussen, i hung it over a broom stick through the arms. i used some orange smelling degreeser from home depot. hosed it down in my driveway and used an old towel and the sunshine to dry it. worked out great.



Mike

[Gary A. Chelette]

[quote="Chuck Russell"]i wouldnt use WD 40. its water based and makes more of a mess./quote]

Main ingredients, from the material safety data sheet, are:

* 50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, somewhat similar to, but not the same as, kerosene)
* 25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
* 15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
* 10-%: Inert ingredients

No water listed.

[Dan Howard]

Why don't people simply buy galvanised mail. It is just as "historical" as the riveted mail people happily buy from India. Probably more so since there are surviving examples of galvanised mail but nothing that even remotely resembles the types of links being made in India. if you want historical then get Erik to make some mail from wrought iron for you and pay a servant to keep it clean. Otherwise save yourself some trouble and buy galvanised. It works perfectly well for me and even darkens nicely to have the desired hue. The only time I bother with ungalvanised iron and correct riveting is when I need to study a particular aspect of the amror for research.

[Chuck Russell]

i dont know of any galv mail. ?? i've heard of tinned mail but not galv mail in period. can i get a source?

[John Facundus]

I bought a stainless riveted hauberk that came really messy, grease and dirt. I sprayed it down with simple green and put it in a bucket for 5 minutes while I drove to the coin operated carwash. I laid the shirt out on the cement and sprayed it down both sides inside and out and used the foaming brush on the hauberk . I hung the hauberk up to dry in the sun. Perfect ! It was about as easy and effective as you could ask, spotless clean, no rust, no oil, 10 minutes total and 4 bucks in quarters, good luck!

[Dan Howard]

[Chuck Russell]

so how would something that is found in India supposed to be period for Europe? hehehe

[Chad Arnow]

[Chuck Russell]

right i know i was just being silly. but then again, 2 wrongs don't make it any righter (is that a word?)

Most LH groups i know don't like galv mail cause even from 10 ft it doesn't look right. Sometimes even the public can figure that out. When riveted mail became cheaper on the market I know at least 2 groups that banned butted mail jut to get rid of that inacuracy.

As for the construction of riveted mail, its riveted or the alt method. To most groups thats as close as you can get now adays. Yes the rings are slightly off, yes the rivets aren't right but its all we have. Alot better than we did 15 years ago. Prob will be better 15 years from now.

And as to an Eric shirt, hehe i don't have 10k to spend on a shirt

[Wojciech P]

Hello everyone,

I' m new here and I have some questions for you more experienced guys.
I come from Poland and in fact not many people know about the possibilty of buying riveted chaimail from India.

Recently I come across an offer from an Indian manufacturer of chaimail shirt made of riveted rings at the price of around 250 us dollars plus 100 dollars for shipping. I'm thinking about buying some because this price is about 1/4 the price you can get in Poland.

Does enyone of you have some experience with Indian dealers or manufactures?
Are they reliable? What is the quality of their chainmails?
Can you recommend any particular company?

thanks for reply
Wojtek