Thanks David, It might work in more arid environs but I have just seen so many bad effects from tarps that trap moisture in with the objects - it is a thing that cannot be done just casually. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Senior Conservator Los Angeles CA On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 1:03 PM, David Lewias <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Once again Dave Harvey comes to the rescue with valuable advice. (Thanks > Dave) ....but I thought I'd comment that preserving farm machinery is > somewhat similar to the issues confronted on the recent "Seeking Shelter for > Railroad Cars" thread -- though perhaps differentiated by scale. > > With that in mind, you might want to read though those posts, and > especially the link I found about encapsulation: > http://www.railwaypreservation.com/page3.html > > > - David - > David Lewis, Curator > Aurora Regional Fire Museum > www.AuroraRegionalFireMuseum.org > > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Harvey <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Mon, Jul 27, 2009 1:18 pm > Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Preserving Farm Equipment > > 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). > ========================================================= 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).