This one is WAY "Off-Topic", but...

[streetsoldier]

As many of you already know, I collect militaria of all countries and ages. I have just received two woven silver-on-green patches (reproductions) from the WW II era; they are very well made, but fragile due to the manner of weaving.

The problem is that originals were woven with silver wire, and these are made using fine aluminum thread...VERY shiny, too much so. The material backing is a thin, gauzy weave, but reinforced around the "silver"/aluminum insignia for sewing.

Does anyone have an idea which would enable me to artficially dull the aluminum (yet keep its metallic appearance) without damaging the patches?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[DaylilyDawn]

Street Soldier, try brushing the wires with a small amount of very fine steel wool. One or two strokes should dull its shine to the look you want.

[streetsoldier]

I was thinking either 000 fine wool or 8000 grit sandpaper, but the material and thread are so thin, I'd have to be VERY gentle...thanks.

I was actually hoping someone would have a "kicthen sink" solution...some solvent or concoction that would do the job by application, rather than risking abrasive damage.

[DaylilyDawn]

Try a little bit of the cleasner Comet on your fingertip dampen your finger and then put a small amount on your fingertip and lights stroke the wires.

[GalvestonDuck]

I saw a documentary once about prisoners who coated dental floss with toothpaste to make a saw. The toothpaste was mildly abrasive and the floss could be wrapped around piping, toilet flush levers, or springs from a cot to cut them and then they would be sharpened (by other means) and used as shanks. Or, the really patient criminals would use it around the cell bars and gradually saw through without much noise or dust.

Do you think smearing a little on your finger and then rubbing it across the wire would work?

[banshee]

If I remember my chemistry correctly what you need is an alkali to remove the shine. Try amonia, tsp or borax. For kicks you can mix the amonia and tsp or amonia and borax to see what the chemical reaction would be....or not.

[Pburgh]

This is probably a polyester blend metalic thread.

Ok, here goes. I'd suggest using fabic dye. (Maybe a brown) Really well dilluted dye!!!! Apply it with a QTip or very, very fine brush. I think the polyester will absorb it enough to dull the metalic look.

[Rainband]

Tony said dip them in water and tea. It will darken them. It's used to antique paper and the fabric will withstand that. Let them air dry

[coriolis]

Aluminum oxidizes rapidly and the oxide sticks to the surface, preventing more oxidation. The normal aluminum color is actually oxidized aluminum.

Do the patches contain other materials besides aluminum? Any chemicals strong enough to affect the aluminum may destroy the patches. Lye reacts with aluminum, but from what I found, it would tend to clean rather than dull it. Plus lye is extremely dangerous and the aluminum/lye reaction gives off dangerous gas and mists. Aluminum reacts with strong acids, but the same comments apply.

Were you thinking about steel wool to remove the shine to make a matte finish rather than a shine? But how would you do that without destroying the patch?

I found that there are some products available at hobby shops to age or dull metals. They are more along the lines of paint.

You could experiment on aluminum foil. How about a thin layer of shoe polish? Magic marker, soy sauce, ben gay, who knows? Would it be practical to try to paint the wire? Just rubbing your fingers over aluminum leaves some dirt and oil that tends to dull it. Rub your fingers on a pencil tip and then rub the foil. How about cigarette ashes or ashtray residue. They'll discolor anything.

My experience in things like this is that I end up making matters worse. You may be better off just leaving it be and resign yourself to an authentic reproduction.

[Pburgh]

Bill, is this thread or actual wire???

[Persepone]

Two thoughts. You don't want anything that damages the patches... I'd put the patches over ammonia and see if the fumes won't dull the finish fairly quickly.

I suspect the fastest thing would be to take it to some place with a lot of air pollution (e.g., NYC) and put them out on a shelf in the air and they will be all dulled down within days!

By the way, the "real" WWII stuff (the patches, medals, etc. from US army) are still relatively shiny (they were kept in a box in a dresser drawer), so don't dull your reproductions down too much. I've my father's stuff from the war... It's never been shined or anything... Also my husband's father's stuff was pretty much intact a few years ago (we think his brother has it) and it lived in a cigar box in a basement workshop for 50 odd years... Also not shined or anything. But still pretty shiny. So don't try to dull it too much to make it look "authentic." I think everyone brought that stuff home and stuck in some type of container and never looked again because no one wanted to remember the war... Alternately, they gave this stuff to their kids to play with... Some survived in the toy box.

[streetsoldier]

Thanks, all! This is very fine aluminum wire I'm dealing with; the same mirror-shine of foil, but micro-thin drawn wire. The green material is a tight, very thin gauze into which the insignia was woven, and these patches would have been worn on "feldgrau" (field gray) wool M38-M43 field caps...so, if they had been silver wire (I've had originals, no longer available) they would have had a dull metallic "look", even when just-issued.

I'd though about employing "DullCote" flat clear finish, too...or, maybe some clear, flat acrylic with a 0-gauge red sable detail brush.

I hadn't considered the possibility of synthetics; I'll try some of the less-invasive techniques first, and let you know.

Just FYI, the patches are "BeVo"-woven German Army officer's eagle (small) and a separate black-silver-red cockade, early-war...I'm working on putting together a Gebirgsjager (mountain troops) cap for my collection (ever watch "Where Eagles Dare" with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood?).