Artifact cleaning question

[doctormike]

Hello...

I pulled this off the debris field of a steamer that burned to the waterline in 1898 - the SS Delaware, off the NJ shore. I am told that it's a piece of iron that made up the engine room floor. I inadvertently let it dry out overnight, 3 weeks ago when I got it, and since then I have been soaking it in fresh water with regular water changes. Here is what it looks like now.

Any advice at this point for preservation? I'm told that much of the iron gets replaced by salts over the years, and that the long fresh water soak helps displace that. Should I try to remove some of the surface discoloration? Coating with Naval Jelly or anything else?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[Jared0425]

You have the right idea. I found a very early steam pump in the St. Clair river. I spent about a month coating and cleaning it with naval gel and then sealed it with black rustoleum. It worked well for me, but that's freshwater. If you think it eats through the iron, then just dab the gel in one place and see how far it will go until it hits the natural iron. Shouldn't be that decayed only after a century

 

[doctormike]

Thanks!

 

[rjack321]

Naval jelly will dissolve all of the oxidized iron. Which might mean your artifact is unrecognizable or just disappears entirely. That is not how iron artifacts are preserved at all. You need to exchange out all the salts, then dry it with a solvent. eg Conservation of Iron Artifacts

 

[doctormike]

Naval jelly will dissolve all of the oxidized iron. Which might mean your artifact is unrecognizable or just disappears entirely. That is not how iron artifacts are preserved at all. You need to exchange out all the salts, then dry it with a solvent. eg Conservation of Iron Artifacts

Thanks! So, to summarize, I could just put this in Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol for a short time, and then soak it in something like this?

Before soaking it in a rust inhibitor, could I try to buff off some of that white corrosion? Or just leave that stuff alone?

 

[icechip]

For your iron artifact, you might consider some sort of electrolytic reduction bath or galvanic cleaning. We used one in an archaeology lab and it cleaned up the iron artifacts nicely. Here is more info: Iron Conservation: Part I - Introduction and Equipment - Conservation Manual - Conservation Research Laboratory - Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation - Texas A&M University.

 

[doctormike]

For your iron artifact, you might consider some sort of electrolytic reduction bath or galvanic cleaning. We used one in an archaeology lab and it cleaned up the iron artifacts nicely. Here is more info: Iron Conservation: Part I - Introduction and Equipment - Conservation Manual - Conservation Research Laboratory - Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation - Texas A&M University.

Hmmm... this is getting complicated. I wonder if there is a place in the NYC area that I could just take it for professional conservation...

 

[icechip]

Thought you might want to set something up in your garage or basement! Ok, here are some addresses that might help: Find a Professional :: The New York Landmarks Conservancy

 

[mrfixitchapman]

This is a every-day version of electrolytic de-rusting. Not complicated, expensive or dangerous.

Electrolytic De-Rusting | Automotive Tech Knowledge

DC

 

[doctormike]

Thought you might want to set something up in your garage or basement! Ok, here are some addresses that might help: Find a Professional :: The New York Landmarks Conservancy

Terrific! Thanks...