A friend in a Dutch museum of maritime archeological materials has had good
luck in baking all metal objects at low heat to drive water out, and to stop
the continuation of rust.
nburlakoff

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of Mark Janzen
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 10:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: rusty tools

Janet,

No self-respecting logger would ever have allowed the tools of their trade,
their very livelihood, to get rusty. They required constant maintenance and
careful care, under often extreme circumstances. Their current state is
certainly not your fault, but it should be rectified. There should be no
rusty tools in a logging exhibition.

The central issue is that they should be clean before you coat them with
anything. As anti-museum practice as this may sound, if they are rusty then
they need to be carefully cleaned and oiled. Covering them up with wax is
going to make the situation much worse. They do not need to be polished or
anything, and great care should be taken if there are any marks or
distinguishing features, which would surprise me in field tools.

If the exhibition space in question is not fully climate controlled, or
maintained at a humidity level intended to prevent corrosion in metals,
this will also help with further outbreaks. You will have to repeat the
oiling once every couple months during the exhibition.

I would suggest not simply diving into such a project without direction. A
conservator's advice would be valuable, but I suspect they will tell you
the same thing. Most will give the advice for free, they just will not do
the work for free. Good cleaning info/instructions can be found at this
website: http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/iron-objects_e.asp,
and the CCI Notes N9/6, which they cite, can be purchased($1.25) at the
bookstore here: http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/main_e.shtml.

That should solve the problem and improve the appearance and stability of
your objects on exhibit.

Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850



             Janet Geronime
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We are preparing an exhibit of logging tools and some of them are rusty.
One volunteer (we are all volunteers) suggested using Renaissance Wax (from
Light Impressions catalog). Would that be appropriate or is there something
better to use?

Janet Geronime
NorthernWaters Museum
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