[Cyprian]

Whilst on a dive on Sunday I happened to come upon an old hardwood pulley. It has a brass centerpiece and I'm sure it will look good once cleaned up. It is at the moment at the bottom of my dunk tank awaiting cleaning and preserving. What do I need to do to it to stop it from splitting as it dries out? Any special treatment for the brass, or just a good clean?
Irfon

 

[stevechesh]

soak in fresh water to leach out all the salt and change the water regularly. If you can put it in a toilet cistern, then it'll have fresh water every flush!

When you eventually dry it out, i'd put some sort of preservative on it like linseed oil.

I'd just give the brass a good scrub

 

[stevechesh]

in addition, if its made of lignum vitae, it won't hsve absorbed much salt at all so won't take long to soak

 

[Cyprian]

Good tip with the toilet cistern, however the missus puts one of those blue blocks in ours, better not risk it eh?

 

[Craig]

It might be an idea to talk to someone at the NAS. There is a solution (and I cant remember the name of it for the life of me) that you soak recovered wood in. Its the same stuff they are (or will be) spraying on the Mary Rose towards the end of the restoration project. It is basically absorbed by the wood and when it dries out it replaces the missing cell structures in the wood with a wax like deposit and preserves the structure.

Its not that expensive and a lot of wood turning supplies places have it. You still need to soak the wood first to remove the salt water - you use the solution aftwards to stop any damage on drying out.

 

[DannyB]

It might be an idea to talk to someone at the NAS. There is a solution (and I cant remember the name of it for the life of me) that you soak recovered wood in. Its the same stuff they are (or will be) spraying on the Mary Rose towards the end of the restoration project. It is basically absorbed by the wood and when it dries out it replaces the missing cell structures in the wood with a wax like deposit and preserves the structure.

Its not that expensive and a lot of wood turning supplies places have it. You still need to soak the wood first to remove the salt water - you use the solution aftwards to stop any damage on drying out.

Think you are referring to Polyethelyne Glycol (PEG) Polyethylene glycol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Danny

 

[Craig]

Yes, PEG. I had a real mental block with that.

Thanks.