Advice on a very rusty tail...?

[Taffeta]

So yesterday I emptied the bottom shelf of my pony cupboard to catalogue them all and found that my FF Bluebelle had been developing her own species while I hadn't been watching her. My FF ponies live in a MLP Carrycase, and the case wasn't at all affected. Two others were superficially affected but they're all fine now. However, Bluebelle is rather another matter.

Bluebelle has been cleaned. She was mouldy outside and, it turns out, mouldy and rusty inside. I do not know how that happened since I do not put away damp ponies, but the wall they are against is an outside wall and there has been one incident of mould ingress before on that wall because of a crack. None of the other ponies in the whole shelf are in this state, so it might have just been something she had inside her anyway...but I do wonder if being up the corner and inside the carrycase just make a perfect storm for this to happen.

Bluebelle is currently in bits on my bath. She looks a lot better though she's no longer blue. More greenish. However, the tail is a big problem.

FF ponies have huge washers and they are completed rusted and fused to the tail clamp. I got the tail out whole but I cannot separate the washer and the tail grip so I can't do anything to fix the problem.

I wondered what people would suggest. Is there a way to seal the rusty area and return the tail to the pony (as it is her original tail) or does she need a donor tail? I don't believe in rehairing and I would not use custom hair, it would have to be a real tail, so I'm a bit hesitant - I'd rather do something with her original one if there's an option.

The tail itself is fine, just the washer and clasp are fused together at the top and very rusted.

[RoseNoire]

Have you tried to crush the washer with pliers ? It should be easy to break and then scratch off the excess rust and all. Then, use a de-rusting method of your choice, like toothpaste. I usually use acid, it breaks down the rust really well. When all the rust is gone (from a few hours to a couple of days), I rinse the tail well and give it a good shampoo/conditioner which I leave for a bunch of hours to make it softer. Finally I place zip-ties, dry everything and place the tail back to its place.

https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Rust-and-Corrosion

Hope this helps.
Have a good day,
Rose

[Taffeta]

Normally I'd probably do that, but this is a big washer. I guess maybe I'll try and get some help to break it off later...I had no luck yesterday trying to either manoeuvre it off, or break it. It's my first time dealing with a flat foot pony washer.

I'll look at the things you suggest and the link, though. It sounds helpful

[RoseNoire]

Maybe if you try to de-rust the whole stuff at first, it might soften the washer and make it easier to break with a tool ? I never touched nor seen a FF washer before, but I had to do that for some regular washers and it worked so this might help. You're welcome for the link. ^^

[reddsetgogirl]

I would recommend a soak in a rust cleaner product like CLR. Rust tends to indicate that the metal is weakened so it may take some effort and repeated attempts, but I think the original tail is salvageable.

I've never seen a pony that was grubby or mouldy outside who was pristine inside. It's just safer to assume they are and clean inside as well. I doubt external factors made her gross inside after you cleaner her. She was probably mouldy then.

[Taffeta]

Well, I don't take off pony heads as a matter of course, and she was fine when I got her (we're talking about a pony I've had probably 20 years) so :/ I don't have great practical skills and I also prefer not to do anything drastic to a pony if I can avoid it. So yeah, maybe it was going on then too, but it wasn't obvious from the outside at the time. And I'm not going to take apart ponies unless there's a good reason.

I don't know what CLR is...?

[reddsetgogirl]

CLR is a cleaning solution that removes calcium, lime and rust (hence the acronym). Any kind of rust cleaner at a hardware store should work the same.

[Taffeta]

CLR is a cleaning solution that removes calcium, lime and rust (hence the acronym). Any kind of rust cleaner at a hardware store should work the same.

Hrm. Ok. I will have to see if I can get someone to help me then.