# Cleaning old lures



## ripjack13 (Feb 23, 2021)

Anyone know a good way to clean these old lures to get rid of this white moldy stuff without ruining the finish?

Reactions: Sincere 2


----------



## gman2431 (Feb 23, 2021)

Lemon Joy works very well and will not hurt them

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


----------



## Gdurfey (Feb 23, 2021)

oh no...………..I don't even want to think about it. In your tackle box cleaning thread, you mentioned simple green. I use that for a lot things. That or Dawn dishwashing soap; see if it dissolves it??

On a totally off track thought, do you remember those old, big, hip-roofed metal tackle boxes?? I would give anything to have my dad's old green one; opened up with 3 trays per side, I think, and then of course the big open area in the bottom middle...….amazing how my mind things go down the path of dad memories when I see posts like this...…..

Reactions: Like 3 | Sincere 3


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 23, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> oh no...………..I don't even want to think about it. In your tackle box cleaning thread, you mentioned simple green. I use that for a lot things. That or Dawn dishwashing soap; see if it dissolves it??
> 
> On a totally off track thought, do you remember those old, big, hip-roofed metal tackle boxes?? I would give anything to have my dad's old green one; opened up with 3 trays per side, I think, and then of course the big open area in the bottom middle...….amazing how my mind things go down the path of dad memories when I see posts like this...…..



My brother has that box too. Its huge. My Dad was big into fishing stuff. Catching em, well, not so much.

Reactions: Agree 1 | +Karma 1


----------



## DLJeffs (Feb 23, 2021)

Marc,
Is that mold or salt corrosion deposits? If it's the latter, you might try to get ahold of some stuff from CRC called Salt Terminator. Once you get them clean, check out some stuff from Boeshield called Salt Protection. Works great on reels and metal rod components too.

Reactions: Useful 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 23, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Marc,
> Is that mold or salt corrosion deposits? If it's the latter, you might try to get ahold of some stuff from CRC called Salt Terminator. Once you get them clean, check out some stuff from Boeshield called Salt Protection. Works great on reels and metal rod components too.



I'm not sure. Lemme go lick em and find out....brb

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 23, 2021)

I don't have any lemon joy at the moment. I'll soak em in some hot water for now overnight. See what happens. I'll get a small bottle of it tomorrow.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 23, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Marc,
> Is that mold or salt corrosion deposits? If it's the latter, you might try to get ahold of some stuff from CRC called Salt Terminator. Once you get them clean, check out some stuff from Boeshield called Salt Protection. Works great on reels and metal rod components too.



I'm not sure what it is. It's very soft and flaky on some and caked hard on others. How do you verify what is what?


----------



## Wildthings (Feb 23, 2021)

ripjack13 said:


> I'm not sure. Lemme go lick em and find out....brb


Don't go overboarding on the licking....hooks!! just saying!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1 | Informative 1


----------



## DLJeffs (Feb 23, 2021)

ripjack13 said:


> I'm not sure what it is. It's very soft and flaky on some and caked hard on others. How do you verify what is what?


Not totally sure. I know that if they've been used in salt water and put away wet, it's most likely salt corrosion. Even just a little bit in the box, closed up, will rust and corrode every piece of steel in there. If they've been used in fresh water than your original assessment is probably correct and it's just a mold.

Reactions: Like 1 | +Karma 1


----------



## Mike Hill (Feb 24, 2021)

Man I hate that wax/mold/whatever build up. After some extensive looking a few years back, I could not get a definitive answer to what it was. Usually, I just rubbed off with a rough cloth or very fine steel wool as I don't collect lures, just fish with em. If you collect valuable lure, then be very, very careful of diminishing the value. You can also use a hair dryer blowing on it. Guess it kinda melts it. You might have to wipe a bit, if there is a heavy build up. Just don't get it too hot. Have also heard of soaking in with some dissolved polident type tablets. And have heard of anything from toothpaste to WD40 and Miracle Eraser. Even some of the Mequiars products which makes sense since you are likely dealing with paints and clear coats and not plastics Could it be the same stuff as the chalking on vinyl siding as some suggest? I have my doubts because of the paints and clearcoats used to cover the plastics which I think many were of cellulose acetate-butyrate and not "vinyl". If you are going to use the lures to fish - double check the split rings and probably replace - they rust easily and then fail. If I could get hold of him, I'd ask Gibby, a world class lure collector, if I could find his phone number.


----------



## Alan R McDaniel Jr (Feb 24, 2021)

I’ve cleaned up some with WD-40. I’ve never had an issue with it dissolving the finish on anything that wasn’t already dissolving on its own. My father in law used to spray just nearly everything he owned with WD-40. I don’t recall seeing anything with rust or corrosion on it that he owned. I think the water displacement properties help more than anything else down here in the gulf coast areas.

Alan


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 24, 2021)

I think it must have been mold. After a good soak, all of it came off.

Reactions: Like 6


----------



## ATGwoodturning (Feb 24, 2021)

Those look great now! I'm pretty sure what was happening is oxidation of the plastic, typically referred to as "chalking". I've known people to hit them with a hair dryer and it starts to get soft/melt and then just wipe it away. Sulfuric acid is a byproduct of that process so be careful if you sand/get any airborne. Could cause some skin/eye irritation.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


----------



## Mike Hill (Feb 24, 2021)

Somebody likes Fred Arbogast lures. I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow trout mud bug!

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 24, 2021)

Mike Hill said:


> Somebody likes Fred Arbogast lures. I don't think I've ever seen a rainbow trout mud bug!


There's only 2 real jitter bug Arbogast lures, the black one and white one. The other 2 are fakes.
I'm surprised there were no hula poppers....

I've never seen that combo either. It took me by surprise when I cleaned it off.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## DLJeffs (Feb 24, 2021)

Those cleaned up really nicely Marc - compared to the way they looked. So if that was "chalking", how does one prevent it? Maquiar's wax or something? WD-40? That Boeing desalt product?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## gman2431 (Feb 24, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Those cleaned up really nicely Marc - compared to the way they looked. So if that was "chalking", how does one prevent it? Maquiar's wax or something? WD-40? That Boeing desalt product?


Use em....

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


----------



## ripjack13 (Feb 24, 2021)

I agree. They had been sitting in a garage, since my Dad died in 1989, at my brothers place. I don't think my brother ever looked in the box or used em at all.
I'll use em for sure. On the open water, but not near weeds or anything. Don't wanna lose em anytime soon.
I cleaned up what I could and tossed a bunch cuz of rust and some were just trash. I may put one or two in a retired box for safe keeping.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Mike Hill (Feb 25, 2021)

Makes me want to get out my old boxes and clean them up. Curses on you. When I stopped throwing plastic and took up fly fishing seriously, i stopped buying lures as much as I had been, well except for the ultralite stuff - I still pick that up now and then. Then my stash was seriously weeded out when someone liberated a few boxes from my pickup after they broke out a window. Among other things they got a custom drilled bowling ball - get that!!! Who's gonna be able to fence a custom bowling ball? and a whole bunch of lures?

Got a small box of old fishing stuff on my desk to send to Dad. Also includes an old Ambassador reel. Should I clean them before I send or should I let Dad have the fun? He's been able to sell some stuff at his antique mall booths.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Gdurfey (Feb 25, 2021)

its amazing what is "collectable" now vs. junk/ or collected junk. When my folks did an auction to get ready for their last stage of retirement, I let a lot of things go including a lot of tackle and oil field stuff. i do have an old tackle box but not sure if it was brother's or dad's....but since brother is also gone now, not sure it matters. At least I have that. 

Marc, you mentioned Hula Hopper...…yep, remember those, the "bomber"...red and white?; long before Repala and all the knockoffs.

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Mike Hill (Feb 25, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Marc, you mentioned Hula Hopper...…yep, remember those, the "bomber"...red and white?; long before Repala and all the knockoffs.


And were wood, not plastic!


----------



## Mike Hill (Mar 12, 2021)

Danged, was doing a fly rod inventory - mainly to see what blanks I had to make up and what rods needed work. Opened one tube and immediately recognized the smell. Seems like the reel seat insert on that rod grew that mold/whatever it is on it! Never had a reel seat do that.

Reactions: Informative 2 | Sincere 2


----------



## ripjack13 (Mar 12, 2021)

Gdurfey said:


> Marc, you mentioned Hula Hopper...…yep, remember those, the "bomber"...red and white?; long before Repala and all the knockoffs.


The 3 on the right are bombers...

Reactions: Like 1


----------

