Meredith,

I am posting this to the list because you mention some very important
issues. First, SAFETY FIRST. If you use any solvent always have
excellent ventillation - that not only means being outside or near an
open door but also using a fan - professional conservation labs have
fume extractors and fume hoods for a very good reason. And always make
sure that your gloves match the solvent that you are using for
chemical resistence.

Now, it has often been a practice in historic sites and living history
museums to paint the more utilitarian objects and artifacts with black
paint - I've seen more on this on iron but you also see it on
copperware occaisionally too.

Meredith and I had just discussed the issues with the iron and not
specifically the copper vessel, and please note that the iron objects
that she mentioned are reproductions - she does have some old iron
that we will be discussing this week. These reproductions were used
for cooking demonstrations and probably had an accumulation of baked
on oils and greases.

Do not take the information that Meredith has posted here and use it
like a recipie. Part of the reason I am talking to her off of list the
is to avoid that, becase each object and problem can be very
individual and somewhat complex - and reproduction utilitarian objects
can be treated differently than historic objects where evidence of
use/wear/patina are a more significant concern.

Cheers
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California




On 11/19/06, Meredith L. Dunham <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> For those listening in on the subject of cleaning the sticky iron, here's
> the results so far.
>
> I used mineral spirits and then Dawn dishwashing soap with water (don't
> worry, I've stopped using the water now) the first go round on two iron
> trivets.  It worked some but not enough.  Then, at Dave's suggestion, I used
> mineral spirits, 0000 steel wool, and then acetone.  It worked really well.
>
> For the iron pan, I followed much the same process.  The inside is good and
> clean but it may take a few more tries with the spirits and the steel wool
> for the bottom of the pan.
>
> For a large copper pot that was covered in wax (had been used for candle
> making and was never cleaned), I tried hot water which only succeeded in
> removing the largest chunks of wax.  Another conservator had suggested I use
> a hair dryer to melt the wax.  That's fine if you only have one or two spots
> of wax, but not if the pot is covered in the stuff.  In the end, it took a
> lot of work with the mineral spirits.  If you try this, don't worry if you
> don't see immediate results.  It takes a while.  Don't do this if the copper
> is painted.
>
> For those who haven't worked with acetone or who have allergies to those
> kinds of materials, I did suffer a severe migraine while working with the
> acetone.  I was standing near an open exterior door while working with it
> but I guess I'm just sensitive.  I will try working with a mask next time.
> Second, definitely spring for the chemical resistant gloves. I thought
> that's what I had, but the acetone slowly ate away the finger pads on my
> gloves.
>
> Lastly, I have a few questions for the list.  Have any of you had experience
> with painted copper?  Is there a reason that copper pots for cooking would
> be painted black on the outside or could this just smoke and ash from being
> used over a campfire for years?  Would years of soot chip off (like old
> paint) or rub off?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Meredith
>
> Virginia Beach Historic Houses
> 3131 Virginia Beach Blvd.
> Virginia Beach, VA 23452
> Phone: 757-431-4000
> Fax: 757-431-3733
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Museum discussion list on behalf of Jerrie Clarke
> Sent: Sat 11/18/2006 12:02 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Cleaning Sticky Iron
>
>
>
> However, please let us know the outcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Jerrie
>
> Jerrie Clarke
> Contract Collection Manager
> Nevada, Utah, Alaska -- so far
>
>
> --- David Harvey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>  Meredith,
>
>  Without seeing this object it is awfully hard to judge what is going on -
> it could just be a really heavy parafin coating (wax) or many layers of a
> degraded organic oil or something else. Since you said that it turned sticky
> then I'm leaning towards some sort of wax. The fact that the mineral spirits
> did have an affect also suggests possible wax. The degraded organic oil that
> I found on that stove top figure hard was extremely hard and really did not
> soften or swell appreciably.
>
> Adding wax over a sticky surface will just make it worse. Why don't you send
> me some digital photos of this
>  thing with some close-ups of the area where you have tested the mineral
> spirits and we'll pursue some other ideas off of the list.
>  I know that my many friends and colleagues on here are probably fascinated
> by all of this but sometimes the back-and-forth communication about an
> object needs to be more focused without 3000 people listening in.
>
>  Cheers!
>  Dave
>
> Conservator
> Los Angeles
>
>
>
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