Removing rust from farm tools

Suzanne Singleton <msingleton [at] fmarion__edu> writes

>... I have been asked to assist in a metal
>conservation problem.  There is a collection of farm tools
>associated with two circa 1836 slave cabins on our campus. ...

On student projects I have used, after careful, but thorough
mechanical removal of loose rust,  tannic acid (10% in ethanol) but
as has already pointed out this will turn the object dark
grey/brown. Although this does stabilize the object, which can then
be coated with Paraloid B72 in xylene or Renaissance Wax.

No one has mentioned the use of de-corroders (such as Biox or
Renaissance De-corroder); would these not take the object back to a
more 'natural' state, which could then be waxed to protect the
surface?

Heather Thomas
3rd year BSc Conservation and Restoration.
London Metropolitan University


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:27
                Distributed: Thursday, January 28, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-27-003
                                  ***