Seth Thomas mantel clock adamantine restoration

[Amanda]

There was an old post here years ago about how to clean the adamantine
finish on old Seth Thomas mantel clocks. I learned how to
clean/restore them from a fellow NAWCC member when I was a dealer in
the 1980's. The best way is to use toothpaste and baby oil. Take a
soft cloth dampened with the oil, put a dab of cream (not gel)
toothpaste on it, and polish the adamantine. You don't need to polish
very hard, use a light hand and let the toothpaste do the work. Add
more oil/toothpaste as needed. Finish polishing it with a clean soft
rag to remove the toothpaste and oil residue. Use a soft toothbush
dampened with baby oil to remove any toothpaste residue that gets
caught in any crevices. Don't use water. You will be amazed how nicely
the adamantine cleans up this way. The first time I tried this, I had
what I thought was a brown clock - it turned out to be a gorgeous red
adamantine with ivory colored columns. I have used it ever since. This
also works for cleaning old ivory objects like piano keys, etc. as
well as tarnished silver pieces.