Dirty GA-40 faceplate

[jrmintz]

Hi all,

I just found a 1956 GA-40 in pretty good condition for a reasonable price, so I picked it up. There's a lot of dried grunge on the faceplate, and some that I think is rust. I was able to remove some stuff with soapy water and q-tips, but I don't want to rub too hard. The faceplate is brown with white silk-screening. Is there a solvent cleaner I can safely use without removing paint? Naphtha? Goo-B-Gone?

[Jack_Hester]

Many years ago, I found some kind of de-ox gel in Hemmings Motor News that worked real well on rust.  It was non-toxic and safe if you got it on your hands.  It melted any oxidation and did not go any further.  New metal was safe.  They advertised that it would not attack paint, and I proved that to be true.  However, if there was rust under the paint, like some of the old parts that I used it on, the paint would come free. 

Anyway, my point is that you can check Hemmings and see what they have advertised, as I don't even remember what the name was.  But, it was good stuff.  I plan to look for it, again, when I get around to some of my old amp projects that I have acquired.

Jack

[jrmintz]

Thanks, Jack. There's a good chance that it is rust, so I'm going to move very slowly. A friend recommended a product called Quick 'n' Bright, so I'll give that a try.