Metal polish

Tom Dixon <tom.dixon [at] ngv__vic__gov__au> writes

>I have used Nevr Dull <URL:http://www.eagleone.com/> occasionally
>over many years, but not often or regularly. ...
>
>Does anyone on the list know the composition?  Has anyone any
>comment on the safety and effectiveness of Nevr Dull they'd care to
>share?  What do we as conservators do when faced with a product like
>this that seems to work well but which we do not know the contents?

I think that Nevr-dull is a fairly inert abrasive metal polish and
doesn't leave bad residues (after careful wiping off).  I believe
that the components were analyzed by Louis Pomerantz during
restoration of a Gamelan for the Field Museum, Chicago, and that
they were powdered feldspar, an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, and
the cotton wadding.  My recollection is that he published something
about it in the AIC (or IIC-AG) News--this would have been the late
'60's. (I can't get AATA working online at the moment to check.)
Since then, I have used Nevr-dull myself on a number of occasions.
It is more abrasive than polishes made with French Chalk; just right
for some applications.

It's too bad that we can't get around the problem of proprietary
products Vs conservation...

Tom Chase
Chase Art Services
Chevy Chase, MD


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:54
               Distributed: Wednesday, February 18, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-54-011
                                  ***