Posted by W. Miller on October 20, 2007, 3:32 am, in reply to "cleaning tin dipped lanterns"
Hi,
There are several methods to clean lanterns, instructions for which can be found at lanternnet.com, I'd suggest asking this question at the railroadiana.org Q&A board, but usually tin plating once it has deteriorated can't be restored to it's original bright, shiny appearance. I'm not really sure it would be tin dipped though, as tin was a restricted metal during the war years from 1942 on and lantern manufacturers were required by the government to use terne plate (lead/tin alloy) instead. I've been told this continued until as late as 1949. You could try a good quality metal polish to brighten it up a bit but I'd practice lead handling safety procedures just to be on the safe side.
W.M.
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