CLEANing JETTY PLAQUES
The plaques on the jetty are marine grade stainless steel (316) and the wording is laser-etched on, which creates a permanent change to the surface of the metal.
The plaques are living in a harsh marine environment and over time, they may suffer some surface rust - this is not corrosion of the plaque itself.
With around 730 plaques on the jetty, it would take over 60 hours to clean them all. Once the loan owed to Council is repaid, the small team of jetty trustees will have more time to organise occasional working bees to clean the plaques. Meanwhile, plank sponsors are more than welcome to clean their own plaques, following these instructions from the company that engraves them (Kelly Engravers in Christchurch).
How to clean your plaque
Lightly brush the rust off the surface using Jif Cream Cleaner (or similar) and a green pot cleaner. To avoid scratching the plaque, rub in the direction of the grain on the metal surface, otherwise it might leave some cross scratches.
Once the surface rust has been removed, use CRC Rust converter on the lettering, which will turn any remaining rust black and lock it in.
Immediately wipe the rust converter off the rest of the plaque, otherwise it will create a hard clear coat where there is no rust.