Dear Nancy,

The care of industrial and agricultural artifacts displayed/stored
outdoors is such a huge problem that even conservators can't grapple
with it effectively.  However, I can give you some Canadian leads to
help with your questions.

A guide to basic care, which I recommend to community museums, is
published by CCI in their CCI Notes series (Note 15/2 "Care of Machinery
Artifacts Displayed or Stored Outside") available for $2.50 (Canadian)
from:

Canadian Conservation Institute,
1030, Innes Road,
Ottawa, Ontario.  Canada.
K1A 0M5.

CCI has also done testing (some of which has been published, I believe)
on corrosion inhibitors.  An ex-CCI staff member, Carl Schlichting,
organized a workshop on Industrial Conservation in 1992, with speakers
from Canada, the U.S. and England; the papers have not been published,
but you might be able to get the workshop outline with the list of
speakers and topics from CCI.  Also at CCI, George Prytulak is a
specialist in industrial collections, and may be able to help you.

Regarding the inhibition of corrosion on outdoor artifacts, I would not
recommend applying any coatings such as corrosion inhibitors, wax or
paints without first consulting a conservator.  It may be possible to
apply a coating which will inhibit corrosion in extreme conditions
(usually only temporarily, so it will need maintenance) but you should
be sure that what you choose is compatible with any remains of original
painted or metal finishes, as well as being historically accurate in
appearance.

I know of several Canadian agricultural and industrial collections with
knowledgeable curators and collections managers and will be happy to
send you further references if you would like.

Best wishes,
Jane Holland,  Conservation Adviser,
Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation,
77, Bloor Street West,
2nd Floor,
Toronto, Ontario.
M7A 2R9.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nancy J Russell [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: June 16, 1997 11:19 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Outdoor Storage of Farm Equipment
>
> Does anyone out there have experience with outdoor storage of
> farm/ranch
> equipment? What solutions have people come up with (for gereral out
> door
> storage and storage in 'lean to' type buildings? Know of any
> references?
> Any information on inhibiting corrosion of metal in such conditions?
> Any
> suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Nancy Russell