Lead rot/lead disease

 

Lead rot/lead disease in white metal kits 

You may notice some parts of you vintage white metal kits in your grey army are covered with a layer of grey or black residue or the surface is full of pits and peeling away. This is lead rot or lead disease for figures produced before the 1990s made from lead alloy.

Here are couple links on this topic.

https://www.georgerrmartin.com/for-fans/knights/comments-on-collecting/#lead

https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Lead_Rot

https://realm-of-lead-addiction.blogspot.com/2008/08/lead-rot-101.html

https://mikemonaco.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/the-heartbreak-of-lead-rot/

Here is my way to stop lead rot:

1. Place the parts in a plastic container and soak the parts in Super Clean degreaser (do not mix with water) for two hours or longer time as needed. The degreaser will dissolve the grey or black residue with no ill effect on the white metal. Super clean degreaser is biodegradable and phosphate-free.

2. Put on some latex gloves and remove the parts from the degreaser. Scrub the parts thoroughly with a soft toothbrush in soap and water. Double check on the pits and areas that are peeling off. You may need to scrap or file away the rotten area just like cleaning rotten wood on wood furniture or on sundeck. Please take your time and do it thoroughly. (For small parts you can use a stiff brush or Q tips). Rinse the parts and let it air dry.

3. Place the parts in another plastic container and soak the parts in white vinegar for about 30 minutes to get the lead acid off the figure. Clean and rinse the parts with a soft brush or in an ultrasonic cleaner and let it air dry.

4. If the rotten area is damaged badly, after cleaning you need to fill all the pits with epoxy putty or low melt solder or even resculpt the damage parts. Sand smooth after your putty work. Clean and rinse it one more time.

5. After cleaning, prime the figure with a light coat of clear metal primer or oil based polyurethane (PU) paint to seal the miniature and follow up with a white or grey primer. Do not use any water based primer for this. You are now ready to do your assembly and finishing.

6. To avoid buying any lead disease kits, be sure the listings have pictures of the actual kit parts showing and not just a picture of the box art.

Examples of lead rot/lead disease in white metal kit.