Folk art assemblage

Okay, another what the heck do I do with this question.  We are
going to be picking up a piece of folk art for our collection.  It
is a train, built of plywood and a complete bewilderment of found
objects of every material.  It consists of an engine and four cars
totaling 50 feet long.  We will be putting it on plywood--yeah, I
know, that in itself is a no-no--and sealing it up in plastic to
take it to temporary off-site storage.  It has been outdoors in the
open for ten years in hot muggy North Carolina.

My question is, how do we get rid of the bugs, etc. that it is bound
to be harboring before we bring it into our storage area?  Mothballs
and freezing have both been recommended.  I hesitate to use the
first because of health concerns, and the second is probably not an
option for us. We are looking for something, preferably that we can
do ourselves, that won't cost an arm and a leg.  Or at least not
very many arms and legs.  Any help you can offer will be gratefully
accepted.

Anne T. Lane
Curatorial Assistant
Museum of York County
4621 Mount Gallant Road
Rock Hill, SC 29732
803-329-2121, ext 104
Fax: 803-329-5249

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:86
                   Distributed: Monday, May 10, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-12-86-023
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