How to Clean Nickel on a Great Western Antique Stove
The Great Western Stove Company was organized in 1875 as a division of the Great Western Manufacturing Company in Leavenworth, Kansas. The company's workers hand-crafted more than 100 different styles of heat- and cook-stoves until about 1920. Virtually all of their products are classified as antiques today. Many of the old stoves are trimmed in nickel, which tarnishes with time and use. Even ornate, scrolled and curved nickel trim will gleam again after a thorough cleaning and polishing. Be sure the stove is cold when you begin cleaning, and set aside a morning or afternoon to work uninterrupted. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Old towels or newspapers
- Clean, dry microfiber cloths
- Commercial metal polish
- Horsehair brushes, wide- and narrow-fibered
- Hand buffer
- Soft paper towels
Instructions
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Cover the cast-iron parts of the antique stove with newspapers or old towels while you clean the trim. Wipe the trim down with a clean microfiber cloth to remove dust and dirt.
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2
Squirt a small amount of commercial metal polish, about the size of a nickel, onto a microfiber cloth. Apply it to the nickel trim, working left to right and top to bottom.
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3
Clean about 6 inches at a time. Cover the area completely with polish. Allow it to remain on the nickel trim for about a minute.
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Use a clean cloth to work the polish into the nickel. Press gently but firmly, moving the cloth in a circular motion until the treated nickel trim area begins to shine.
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Repeat the polish application a second time. Use a soft-bristled horsehair brush to work the polish into scrolls, crevices and corners.
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6
Fold a soft paper towel into a 2-inch square. Use the corner of the towel to reach polish spots that the brush may have missed. Wipe any remaining polish residue off with a clean paper towel before moving on to next area to be cleaned.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're working with a small amount of nickel, you might consider using puncture-resistant nitrile gloves instead of cloths to apply the metal polish. Nitrile gloves are non-latex, disposable and chemical-resistant.
Never use any abrasive polishes or powders on your nickel-trimmed Great Western antique stove. Abrasive cleaners can permanently scratch the nickel and ruin the look of your stove.
References
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Comments
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I do like this! I am also looking for some info on a stove made by your company I could possibly buy and would like to get a couple answers on it. How do I get you a photo? Thanks, Billy Brewer.
