Cleaning a Rusty Old Tin Cup

[jdanner723]

I have an original tin cup from the civil war that I've carried for a few years as part of my kit. Recently, I've noticed some of the crevases on the inner part of the cup are starting to get rusty. I know the obvious solution is to buy a new cup but I would really like to stick with this one. Is there anything I can use on the inside to remove the rust without damaging the cup itself? Any thoughts?

Joey

[lukegilly13]

Unfortunately, my guess here is that I don't think there is too much you can do and remain farb-free. You might try the same tactics you would use in the field to remove surface rust from your musket....ash or crushed brick on a rag or maybe some rotten stone. I'm thinking a soldier would A) put up with the rust till a new cup turned up or B)improvise (i.e. do without). Possibly try rinsing with a solution of baking soda and water...then drying VERY thoroughly....moisten with tallow when not in use.
Again, this is my opinion...but I don't believe a soldier would have any other way of removing rust except for the means taken of maintaining his other metal items.

[J.H.Berger]

If it is an original, keep it at home and get an new cup from a good vendor for the field!!!
To get the rust away you will have to use some slight abrasive. Steel wool should already do the work. Do it very carefully, then oil or wax the cup thinly to prevent more rust from occurring and put it in the glass cabinet;-)

[Jimmayo]

A little iron in your water won't do you any harm. Better for you than the lead in the solder.

[jdanner723]

Indeed that is a good point.... :)

[flattop32355]

Back in 2004, I believe, we went to the Bentonville, NC reenactment. On Sunday, we were marched out into an old cotton field and told to dig in. The soil was very, very sandy, and easy to use hands, bayonets, cups, plates, etc. to do the digging.

My poor old plate came home with a shine on it not seen since it was purchased, all from about 30-45 minutes of entrenching.

You might want to get a small bag of sand and just spend a little time picking up cupfuls of it. It might just do the job, and won't hurt the cup. Sand's been used as a cleaning agent for a long time.

[tenfed1861]

I agree to simply leave it at home.If you loose it or it get destroyed,you lost an original item.Use it for a display.
As far as rust,I found that wood ash and a brillo pad works great.You'll need to get down in there deep to clean it off.If need be,use a pocket knife to scrap the surface rust.

[jdanner723]

Yeah I think I'm leaning towards leaving it at home. I'd still like to get the rust off so I'll try some of the methods mentioned here. It's a nice cup and it's really lightweight which is why I like it so much. It's a small one, kind of like an officer's or a civilian's. Any ideas where I might be able to find one that is similar?

[Prodical Reb]

I used a bit of naval jelly (follow precautions and wear PPE) in an old canteen to clean the rust out of it without using any abrasive. After which I rinsed with water and neutralized it with baking soda, rinsed some more, heated it to dry quickly then sealed with bees wax. It still serves me well to this day! I think this would work quite well! That being said and the artifact is an original, I don't think I would use it anymore. Buy a new one from Otter Creek or Village tinsmith.