Sword conservation

ariel · 7th December 2016, 11:52 AM

Thanks folks!
Please keep going: aside from practical suggestions that becomes a valuable topic for general discussion and use.

Lee · 7th December 2016, 01:11 PM

I will see if I can find the instructions that I used to stabilize a Viking sword that was seriously flaking away. I suspect it is on the extracted hard drive of my dead computer.

I remember that I had to alkalinize distilled water using Sodium Hydroxide to a certain pH (11 by memory) and would then would soak the sword for a few days until pH fell towards neutral. This needed to be repeated several times for over a month. Finally, the pH drop stopped occurring. At this point I dehydrated in a series of anhydrous isopropyl alcohol baths (just like tissue in the path lab!) and then finally into acetone and then finally coated with paraloid B-72 dissolved in acetone.

This does not give a great display surface and leaves much of the rust, but it does have the advantage that it removes the inherent vice of the salts. The coating can be removed later with acetone if needed.

ariel · 7th December 2016, 04:04 PM

Lee,
That would be great!
Many thanks in advance!

Miguel · 7th December 2016, 07:35 PM

I am no expert but I was going to suggest Electrolysis as suggested by Roland. Since I read estrch`s post I have used it with great success although not on such heavily corroded items. As Roland says it is much used by Archaeologists and can be controlled so that you can remove as much or as little as you wish within reason there is plenty of info on the web for you to peruse.
Miguel

machinist · 7th December 2016, 08:16 PM

I am very much interested in this topic as I have a very rusted axe head that I want to at least stabilize. It is flaking apart and I think if I did the electrolysis thing I would not have much left.

I have thought about the distilled water soak followed by baking and then wax but I am learning from this thread first.

Does the paraloid B-72 provide much structural stability for a fragile item?

ariel · 7th December 2016, 11:16 PM

I have shown this 15 cen excavated Bauernwehr before, but think it might be useful here.
Stabilized with tannic acid.
There are commercial Rust Converters: tannin, polymer and a bit of phosphoric acid

silberschatzimsee · 9th December 2016, 03:13 AM

I would have carefully cleaned the rough soil of with destilled water and a cottonstick and dried it very fast.
The clay sized soil in the moulds i would have left since it would be very hard to remove without damaging the surface.

Storage: I would have used hydrophil silicon beads combined with a food safe bag.

Ps: I am no metal expert

7th December 2016, 11:16 PM	#6
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I have shown this 15 cen excavated Bauernwehr before, but think it might be useful here. Stabilized with tannic acid. There are commercial Rust Converters: tannin, polymer and a bit of phosphoric acid Attached Images

7th December 2016, 11:52 AM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Thanks folks! Please keep going: aside from practical suggestions that becomes a valuable topic for general discussion and use.

7th December 2016, 01:11 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 932	I will see if I can find the instructions that I used to stabilize a Viking sword that was seriously flaking away. I suspect it is on the extracted hard drive of my dead computer. I remember that I had to alkalinize distilled water using Sodium Hydroxide to a certain pH (11 by memory) and would then would soak the sword for a few days until pH fell towards neutral. This needed to be repeated several times for over a month. Finally, the pH drop stopped occurring. At this point I dehydrated in a series of anhydrous isopropyl alcohol baths (just like tissue in the path lab!) and then finally into acetone and then finally coated with paraloid B-72 dissolved in acetone. This does not give a great display surface and leaves much of the rust, but it does have the advantage that it removes the inherent vice of the salts. The coating can be removed later with acetone if needed.

7th December 2016, 04:04 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Lee, That would be great! Many thanks in advance!

7th December 2016, 07:35 PM	#4
Miguel Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 584	I am no expert but I was going to suggest Electrolysis as suggested by Roland. Since I read estrch`s post I have used it with great success although not on such heavily corroded items. As Roland says it is much used by Archaeologists and can be controlled so that you can remove as much or as little as you wish within reason there is plenty of info on the web for you to peruse. Miguel

7th December 2016, 08:16 PM	#5
machinist Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 93	I am very much interested in this topic as I have a very rusted axe head that I want to at least stabilize. It is flaking apart and I think if I did the electrolysis thing I would not have much left. I have thought about the distilled water soak followed by baking and then wax but I am learning from this thread first. Does the paraloid B-72 provide much structural stability for a fragile item?

9th December 2016, 03:13 AM	#7
silberschatzimsee Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 90	I would have carefully cleaned the rough soil of with destilled water and a cottonstick and dried it very fast. The clay sized soil in the moulds i would have left since it would be very hard to remove without damaging the surface. Storage: I would have used hydrophil silicon beads combined with a food safe bag. Ps: I am no metal expert