I am responding to this on the list because my advise may have wider interest on here. I would first be interested if the use of tarps on outdoor agricultural equipment actually helps or if it causes problems. In my experience if something has to be outdoors and it is primarily composed of iron and wood, then you either need to prevent moisture or if that is not possible then it has to be in a situation where the object can quickly dry. The use of a tarp can trap and keep moisture on the surface of an artifact, it can encourage fungal growth, and provide an excellent "house" for pests. So actually I'd prefer for that outdoor manure spreader, for example, to be out in the sun and with good air circulation, if it cannot be in a barn, warehouse, or under a shed. Do not use home remedies on these objects. NEVER oil wood. Organic oils crosslink over time and will form a dark greasy glossy film that is very difficult to remove. If you are going to oil iron / steel then there are a few things to take into account. First, is there paint on the surface? If so, do not oil. Is there extensive corrosion with pustules, pitting, delamination, and possible chlorides? Do not oil. If you use an oil it has to be non-ionic and should form a thin protective film. It should be applied lightly and then the excess wiped off. You cannot get this oil on any wood. So, without seeing what the specific issues are and what the condition of the objects is, I can only offer general advise. The best thing is to leave them alone as using a "recipie" approach can cause more harm than good. What is always best is to get a conservation assessment of the equipment, how they are stored, and their condition, with recommendations. A conservation treatment that is designed with outdoor storage in mind is a far better approach than have couple of volunteers oil everything every year. I have done a number of these kind of assessments and treatments over the years. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Senior Conservator Los Angeles, CA On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 9:58 AM, L Poling < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Greetings! I am wondering if anyone can offer advice on how to > treat/preserve old farm equipment. We have several large pieces including a > manure spreader, seeder, and a few wagons. Unfortunately, we do not have > room in our barn for storing these pieces during the winter months so we > have been covering them with tarps. The donor had previously treated these > pieces by brushing old motor oil on the metal and creosote on the wood. One > other source suggested brushing the metal with WD-40 and treating the wood > with an equal parts mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine. > > > > Thankfully, the donor is willing to pay for any chemicals/supplies > necessary, as well as new tarps. Are the methods listed above acceptable, or > is there a better way to treat these pieces? > > > > If you would like to respond off-list: > [log in to unmask] > > > > Many thanks for any suggestions or advice! > > > > > ========================================================= Important > Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at > http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed > information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message > to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read > "help" (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to > [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read > "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).