Cleaning Antique/Old Frame

[Kevlar]

I have been asked by an existing customer to frame one of their wedding pictures in an old frame they purchased from Ebay that matches with much of the decor in their house. I am looking for any advice on what would be best to clean the frame with, to ensure that its only the dirt that is taken off the frame, in particular the internal slip edging, I'd like to bring this back to life colour wise. I have attached some pictures to show the frame. Any advice would be great thanks.

Kev

[prospero]

Nice bit of oak.
Get some fine steel wool and some dark furniture wax. Scoop a bit of wax onto the steel wool and apply to the wood (not the gold). Work it well in, but don't scrub too hard. Work it into any dents/scratches/misc defects and mitre gaps. Wipe off excess with a cloth and leave for a while. Then get a soft duster and give it a good buffing. You'll be amazed at how it will come up. Don't do anything to the gold ornament except brushing any loose muck out of the crevices. You aren't really cleaning it, as accumulated dust is a part of the frame's history, but a good waxing will consolidate dust into the surface and give that aged look. Fly doings and decorating paint splashes should come off.

Check the corners to see if the glue joins are still sound. Old oak frames tend to shrink/expand and the corners give, but usually there are some hefty nails across the corners, so it's not going to fall to bits. If the corners are a tad wobbly, then don't try to cut and rejoin. Get some 3" steel 'L' plates and fix them on the back of the join.

[Kwik Picture Framing]

Try these from lion http://www.lionpic.co.uk/hardware-suppl ... ishes.aspx

[JFeig]

I would do nothing more than wipe the wood portion with a bit of old terry cloth (bath towel) and some naptha.

[silvercleave]

I don't understand the answer from Kwick- surely the products recommended are not for cleaning?

Ian

[Kwik Picture Framing]

Best thing to do is ask Lion which product is good for cleaning old frames, I thought these could restore the frame first to make it look better.

[Abacus]

I've had good results using a mixture of white vinegar and olive oil (mixed 1 vinegar to 4 oil in a jam jar). Test it on the back or in the rebate first