Gutta percha box

danalex

danalex

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Hello,
I'm very happy about my Christmas gift, please find here the pictures from my S&W box.

Has anybody advices for me to clean it up ? This gutta percha box seems to me a bit oily, dusty inside the gravings.
Also the right corner was glued, and I would like to glue again this coin for a better aspect.
Thanks in advance for all your good solutions,
Daniel

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Very nice. What a beautiful piece.I would consult with an antique expert who can assess that box in person. Tres bien.
 
Last edited:
Hello,
Thank you for your congratulations :)
For 20 years I was looking for a box of gutta percha matching my budget, so I'm a good boy for 20 years!
The N°1 first model 6th type from 1859 was already in my collection.
I'm already trying to clean the box simply with dishwashing liquid.
I will send you the photo of the result.
BR Daniel
 
You may want to stop trying to clean with any kind of liquid detergent, including dishwashing liquid.
Gutta percha is one of the first forms of hard rubber invented. Most vulcanized or hard rubber compounds can be cleaned with alcohol (I would dilute it with distilled water) using a soft cotton swab.
There is also the possibility that it could be cleaned with less damage by using a form of modeling clay like wall-paper cleaner. I've used that on various old documents and paper items with good success.

It's possible you have this, or an equivelant product, in your country:
Absorene Company, supplier of sponges, bath accessories, and wallpaper cleaner

The best advice was to seek professional (museum staff) advice.
 
Thank you Bobsdad,
The spots are mostly remnants of old glue at the location of the break.
I tried diluted alcohol on an inconspicuous area but it removes the shine of the box! should it be repolished after?
I use the wall-paper cleaner for the inside of the box.
Thank you for your comments
 
A silicone based polish should restore the shine. Use it sparingly at first.

But.....I still would get some professional advice from museum curators. And I would follow that advice.
 
I have read that the GP boxes were not manufactured or supplied by S&W, but were rather obtained by the distributors from 3rd party sources. But I don't know. Maybe one of you does.
 
Let me join the congratulatory chorus... that is a real treasure of box! I would also agree with those who suggest professional assistance in its conservation. As you have experienced already, some logical cleaning techniques have unintended consequences. It would be a shame to damage this old veteran with improper cleaning.

Regards,
Froggie
 
danalex, contact Vern Ekland for advice. I think he is listed in the SWCA Roster. Mike #283
 
danalex, can Vern Eklund help with your Gutta Percha box? He has helped several members in the past. Mike #283
 
I think your best bet would be to buy a broken Thermoplastic Union Daguerreotype case on ebay and do some tests on it to see what works and what does not. Many of the companies that made them were based in NY City. I am pretty sure S&W sourced the cases from one of the makers. The cases are not made of Gutta Percha, golf balls of this vintage were and are much stronger than thermoplastic. Here is an article on the composition of such cases. Gutta-percha or Thermoplastic Union Cases? - Tips - Old Photographic
 
danalex said:
Hello,
I'm very happy about my Christmas gift, please find here the pictures from my S&W box.

Has anybody advices for me to clean it up ? This gutta percha box seems to me a bit oily, dusty inside the gravings.
Also the right corner was glued, and I would like to glue again this coin for a better aspect.
Thanks in advance for all your good solutions,
Daniel

View attachment 97003

View attachment 97004
Click to expand...
First of all congratulations on the acquisition of a beautiful and historic item.
Personally, I would not make any attempts at cleaning the box. It shows it's age gracefully.
 
I wondered where that box wound up. :)

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f.t.
 
Someone earlier mentioned that the material of the box may not be Gutta Percha, and could be thermoplastic instead. I think it could be either, but is more likely Gutta Percha (ofter called "hard rubber"). The only thermoplastic available during the 1860s and 1870s was Celluloid (made from nitrocellulose and camphor), and it could be, and was, molded into all sorts of items. The first major commercial use for celluloid was to make billiard balls. Gutta Percha (which is made from a latex-like tree sap) existed at the same time, actually predating celluloid, and could also be molded into any desired shape, and was used to make, among many other items, handgun grip panels and gunstock buttplates. It would not have been Bakelite phenolic plastic, as that did not exist until the later 1900s. As Gutta Percha was a much more established product during the production period of the revolver shown on the box, the box is almost certainly Gutta Percha.
 
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