Linda,

I was an archaeological conservator and conservator of metals and arms
for a major American History Musuem for many years and now do general
obejcts, art, sculpture, and architectural conservation. I have
managed labs at every stage of my career and had the opportunity some
years ago to plan and equip a new laboratory from paper to reality.

If you are invovled in the creation of a new space then you need to
assess the size and type of collections and the size of the largest
objects that you expect to come through the doors. If you are adapting
a pre-existing space then you need to involve engineers for the
requirements of ventillation, storage of hazardous chemicals, etc.

Electrolytic reduction is not really the norm any more for most
terrestrial archaeological metals - it is utilized most reguarly for
salt water submereged artifacts, most usually from ancient and
historic shipwrecks.

Air abrasion and or mechanical cleaning is usually the most accepted
technique for archaeological iron, followed by soaking in changes of
deionized water to remove soluable chlorides. So a space mostly
dedicated to archaeological iron requires three rooms. One is dry and
dedicated to dirty work, air abrasion, etc. (humidity really pranks
with air abrasion units). A space dedicated to wet work with big
sinks, deionized water, and drains, for the extended soaking of iron
artifacts. And a general lab space where photography, coating, and
other general lab work can be carried out. The work flow should go
from dirty to wet to clean rooms.

It is also very helpful if you have a large collection to conserve, to
have the use of an x-ray unit, so that you can identify objects
underneath the soil and corrosion concretions, and assess their
relative condition, and set priorities for treatment. I have used
everything from old M.A.S.H. medical x-ray units, state of the art
industrial units, and in my current lab we have recently acquired a
used airport baggage screening unit (its pretty cool!)

If you expect the lab to conserve more than archaeological iron, but
to conduct treatments on a range of materials, then you should design
it more as a general lab space and less specialized.

I know of some state labs that have conservation staff and some that
built a lab in which contract conservators work on specific projects.
One lab that I know of is behind a big wall of glass and the
conservators are like fish in a tank, with school groups and visitors
regularly looking in. And others are hidden in basements or industrial
buildings. (remember basements are not the best places for
collections).

At this point you really need to consider this within the scope of
your long-range conservation plan and also bring in knowledgable
consultants so that no details are missed before the the final
drawings are approved and the space built and equipped. This will have
to be a lab that you will have to live with for many, many years, so
it is best to anticipate future needs and to achieve the best design
now, rather than thinking that you can expand in ten years, which
usually does not happen.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California  USA




On 2/17/06, Linda Pansing <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> The Ohio Historical Society is considering establishing a lab dedicated to preserving iron artifacts and would like to get some feedback from people who may have already created such a lab.  I would be interested to hear if you have a space dedicated to electrolysis or if it is general lab space that can be used on a case by case basis. Also, are you aware of other state museums that regularly do the process or is it a job that is usually "farmed out" to an external conservator.   Any advise, guidance and/or other leads you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
>
> > Linda Pansing
> > Archaeology Collections
> > Assistant Curator
> > Ohio Historical Society
> > 1982 Velma Ave.
> > Columbus, OH 43211
> > (614) 298-2061
> > mailto:[log in to unmask]
> > http://www.ohiohistory.org
> __________________________
>
> The Ohio Historical Society <http://www.ohiohistory.org> is a nonprofit organization that serves as the state's partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio's history, archaeology, and natural history.
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