I just started a collections internship in a Victorian house museum
and the first thing I was asked when introduced to the chairwoman of the
advisory board was "Can you do something about all that white-out?"
 
Apparently a former employee, in an attempt to speed up the process of
numbering objects, had decided to put down a white-out base for the numbers
first and then number them later.  To accomplish this he showed a group of
junior high schoolers basic white-out application and then let them loose
in the house.  There are white splotches on wooden furniture legs and ceramic
vases and various other types of materials.  (Unfortunately many of these
objects were never numbered after being splotched so I have to deal with that
basic confusion too).
 
How can we get the white-out off of the objects?  I gather that the solvent
that removes white-out also dissolves lots of other substances.... Is there
any way to get the stuff off without taking off other finishes as well?
(Short of microsurgery or sandblasting , that is!)
 
You can reply directly to me unless you thinkthe response will be of interest
to the list.
 
 
Carolyn Brady
 
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  [log in to unmask]   |  "Real solemn history, I cannot be
 MA program in Public History |   interested in....The quarrels of popes
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    Purdue University at      ü   in every page; the men all so good for
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   BACK IN TOWN!!!   8-)      ü                       --JANE AUSTEN
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