Cleaning up Grandpa's Lures

[Bushwacker]

I have bought a lure display case and I want to go through each of my Grandfathers' tackle boxes and put some of their lures in it. What is the best way to clean up these lures without damaging them. There are some wooden lures with a white film on them and metal spoons with a little rust on them. This is for sentimental value, not to sell, but it would be nice to have them looking good. If anybody has done anything like this I could use any tips I can get. Thank you,
Bushwacker

[Aquaman01]

Metal tarnish is easily stripped with Tabasco sauce. Oxidization of any sort needs scrubbing, either light or hard, and an arrestive coating. On the wooden lures try a dilkuted linseed oil or furniture polish. Careful of pint - try a dab-spot on what will be the backside, first. I don't want you comin' after me to kick my a** for bad advice!

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Aquaman
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"I think we're gonna need a bigger boat."

[Steve Foss]

Bushwacker:

If you want to preserve the antique value of those lures, don't clean them in any way. With antiques, the value goes down dramatically when you "clean them up."

Anyway, one of the things that makes old lures look old is the rust and discolorations, but it's up to you what you want.

That being said, if you are sure you'll never want to sell them and want to keep them for sentimental reasons and are positive you want them cleaned up, warm water and soap goes a long way for wooden painted lures. Start with a sponge and let them soak first to loosen up the dirt. Then go to a light abrasive pad, but the harder you scrub, the more paint you'll buff off.

For spoons and rust, abrasive pads work good, if the spoon is not painted. If it's painted, follow the advice for the wooden lures.

When you're done, wipe on a coat of mineral oil (not vegetable oil, which can spoil). The oil will keep moisture from getting to the hooks and other metal once you've cleaned them. Also, make the box so it's possible to get the lures out without breaking the box, so you can clean them again later.