Preserving a long dried deadeye...

[spencer!]

Does anyone have any advice on what to use to finish or how to preserve wood and iron artifacts that were found in FRESH water 20-30 years ago? They have been sitting in a basement since then and are completely dry.

I have a deadeye that has a thick ring of considerably rusty iron around it that i want to clean up. The wood is in good condition, but the iron is thick but every time I move it rust and small peices fall off

I was thinking of just coating the whole thing in clear epoxy, but was wondering if anyone had other suggestions.

Thanks!
Spencer

 

[riverdiver]

On artifacts that I find in fresh water I put them in a 5 gallion bucket half with pool clorine and water let it soak for a week and all the old rust will fall off then I put in a other 5 gallion bucket with just water for 2 or 3 days. Then let sit in the sun and dry out I would then spray with linseed oil or vegetable linseed works best but smells.

Ed

 

[Oyster Diver]

I've had good luck taking rust off using electrolysis. It is easy to set up and works great on iron and steel artifacts, but I haven't tried it with wood and iron combos. Good luck and please post some before and after pictures.

 

[shotthebreeze]

I've had good luck taking rust off using electrolysis. It is easy to set up and works great on iron and steel artifacts, but I haven't tried it with wood and iron combos. Good luck and please post some before and after pictures.

I was just going to say, electrolysis usually works wonders. It will take care of the iron aspect of it, but the wood you might have a difficult time with. Let us know how things turn out...

 

[treasurerat]

iron and wood should not be done together if at all possible...different processes are needed..if the cells of the wood are dry and empty then they must be bulked up with a non evasive filler...poly etheline glychol in lengthy heated soaks is the prefered method...the iron can be treated in a various methods...hand cleaned or reverse electrolysis and once cleaned to bare must be treated as well to stabilize the iron to prevent further distruction..lots of info on the web available ..remember that the used electrolite soulution has to be treated as a haz mat for disposal...dont want the DEQ chasing your butt...good luck with it...