Powder Post Beetles - July, 2013

July, 2013

A local museum contacted me recently about Powder Post beetle infestation that they had been dealing with for a few years.  They have several older wooden buildings with lots of small and large wooden objects housed within.  They have been spraying every year with a product called Tim-Bor.  The results have been encouraging with much less infestation over time but not yet completely solved.  These beetles bore into wood and deposit eggs.  When the eggs hatch the larvae eat their way out of the wood, mate in the spring and the cycle starts again.  They had asked me about the best way to deal with new objects coming into the museum and any existing objects that may be infested.

How do you know you have a beetle infestation?  Here are a few photographs of holes in wooden objects and a photograph of the dust which is a combination of sawdust and frass (insect excrement).   

Beetle holes - mallets

Beetle holes - pulley

Beetle dust - stairwell

Beetle dust - barrel base

There are several kinds of beetles that exhibit the same characteristics that can be treated the same way.  Spraying with a boron based product such as Tim-Bor, Borasol, or Ambush every year for several years will reduce the population and keep it under control.  Watch for beetle activity evidence such as the dust as shown in the photographs every year usually in summer or late spring.  Spray all the wooden areas (walls, stairwells, doors) and the larger objects.  These products are easily handled but require basic handling equipment to apply.  Refer to the safety data sheet for any of these products first before usage.

Any wooden objects of a small size can be treated by depositing them in a freezer for a minimum of two weeks.  Such things as wooden mallets, pulleys, wooden handled tools, and the like which can fit in the freezer are good candidates.  Wooden wagon wheels, carts, poles, and the like are usually too big so should be handled differently.  Maintaining a low temperature over two weeks will kill off any of the eggs, larvae, or beetles present in the wood.  There is some variance but typically, freezers maintain a temperature of around -18C.  Since beetles are active in the spring and lie dormant over the winter they are able to handle fluctuation in temperatures but not a sustained cold temperature.  Our winters in Nova Scotia have fluctuating temperatures between freezing and thawing so our beetles have adapted to that environment.  After two weeks you can put the objects back into the collection where appropriate.



Beetle holes - wheel

For larger objects such as the wagon wheel shown in this photograph I suggest spraying them every spring around middle of June for Nova Scotia which is their optimal time for reproduction.  They tend to be active, moving toward sunlight at that time.  Around this time you should see evidence of their activity - either bore holes or dust.  Sometimes the bore holes may not be visible until the spring because the object has been sanded and painted. 

All new wooden objects coming to museums should be carefully examined for evidence of pests.  If so, they should be bagged and isolated for a period of time to determine if they are actively infested.  Bagging will allow for any evidence of activity to be observed.  If they can be stored in a non-wooden environment for a time this would be best.  If they are small they can be put straight into a freezer for two weeks.  Larger objects with bore holes should be sprayed and examined in late spring or early summer for evidence of beetle activity.

Conservation Tip

With respect to preventive care - objects in collections should be examined as a minimum at least twice per year.  Wooden, textile, paper or leather objects for pests and mold; metal objects for tarnish and rust.  Identifying problems as soon as possible can prevent more serious infestation or damage that would be more difficult to treat if left undiscovered.  Careful examination will then determine what treatment is necessary, the costs in terms of materials and time, and then a plan to implement the treatment. 



Some New Objects Came In - June 25 2013 (Continued)

July 2, 2013

Alcohol Jug - Luther

Alcohol Jug - Proverb

Perhaps the most important part of historical objects coming in the museum from the public as donations are the stories that accompany the objects.  Last week I wrote about the objects and briefly described two of them with photos.  This week I have two more from the same group that are of particular interest.  The person who brought them in shared what information he had on his objects.  This is especially exciting and important because these stories are what helps us to date them, understand how they were used, which family members used them, and any repairs done to them.

These objects are alcohol jugs with sayings inscribed in German on the front and raised images such as flowers and birds in many locations.  In both cases the handles on the back are broken with missing pieces.  One of them has a quote from Martin Luther, the other a German Proverb.  One of them shows many cracks with obvious repairs and yellowish-brown staining.  The staining is on or near the cracks so represents an excessive amount of adhesive used to do repairs.
 

There are several interesting aspects to these examples:

1. the owner said he had played with these as a child; 
2. the quotation on the front in German; and
3. the conservation possibilities. 

Since we know the age of the donor (in his 90's) we can date the jug to at least his childhood.  The origin is unknown.  I am continuing research on determining the maker and date of these objects.  If any of you know more about these please leave a comment below.

The quotation on one jug is attributed to Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) as follows:

"He who loves not wine, women, and song remains a fool his whole life long."

On the other jug the quotation is a German proverb:

"Happy is the one who forgets that which cannot be changed." 

The possibility for conservation on the jug with the Martin Luther quotation is that the adhesive could be removed, the object disassembled, the pieces cleaned and reattached with conservation grade adhesive.  The missing handles can also be remade (molded), painted with exact colour match, and attached.  The end result would be a "like new" object.  Repairs undertaken by conservators are done ethically in such a way that the original aspects of the object are restored but that the repairs will be obvious under intensive observation such as a magnifying glass or a microscope.  It is also critically important that any repairs be easily reversed.  The entire repair process would be documented in detail with photographs at every stage and becomes part of the historical record of the object.  This is a labour intensive process and would usually only be attempted on objects of special historical significance due to the cost involved.  In our case I would recommend that it be left as is since the repairs represent an important aspect of the history of the object.

Information Tip:

More information is available on novamuse.ca by searching on accession number 2013.014.001 or 2013.014.002.  Just type in or cut and paste the accession number in the search box on the upper right of the page and press enter to bring up more information.  There is a detailed description plus measurements, condition information, some history on the original owner, and conservation work.



Some New Objects Came In - June 25 2013

June 25, 2013

Someone came in this week with some historical objects from home to donate to the museum.  This is a regular occurrence as people clear out the attic or decide that it is time to make some of their family artifacts available for others to enjoy.  This is one of the joys of working in a museum....you never really know what may come walking in the door.  There are often pleasant surprises that can be of great interest to the public.  Here is what was brought in:

• a child's chair from the Victorian era (1837 to 1901) - possibly late 1800's,
• a bone handled straight razor in its box without a top,
• a fully functional mechanical pencil with lead refill - possibly early 1900's,
• a 1961 book of cartoons from the Halifax daily newspaper of the time in mint condition,
• a school reader from the 1930's with student notes, underlining, and other scribbles,
• a military canteen from the 1950s in its carrying case,
• a brass book mark with a colourful butterfly at one end,
• a silver plated 1880's spoon warmer,
• two tall, ceramic alcohol jugs with different sayings in German.

Tasked with doing conservation work on these objects I can say that very, very little needs to be done.  I generally concentrate on cleaning, polishing, very minor repairs, packaging, storage, photographing and database updates (www.novamuse.ca).  In all cases these were clean meaning that I did not have to brush off any dirt or wipe off dust.  They are all showing some of what could be called normal wear and tear which is part of the objects' history and thus would need no remediation.

Victorian Era child's chair.

An example is the child's chair which is very solid and sturdy but shows some rips, minor staining, and loose threads in the seat cover.  It has been refinished with a varnish and the seat cover may have been replaced.  With the under seat strapping and frame in very good condition I can see no reason to do any changes.  Normally, I would recommend that wood not be refinished, the natural patina is often best left as is.  Antique TV shows often point out that wooden objects loose value when refinished.  The natural wear and patina reflect the use of the object and from conservator's point of view is a valuable reflection of the history of the object.  This chair shows the craftsmanship of the era and is a testament to the maker's skills and pride in producing high quality goods.

Late 1800's spoon warmer.

Another example is silver plated spoon warmer which is showing the usual black spotting and scratches from polishing or wear.  Since it is silver plated there is very little reason to try polishing it further since there is little or no silver left in these areas.  This object was used to keep spoons warm when boiling water was poured inside and a small lid was closed to keep the spoons warm.  This practice was popular in some circles in the 1800's but died out at the turn of the last century.

Roundhouse Objects Conservation June 18 2013

June 18, 2013

As conservation work on the Railway Roundhouse objects nears completion it was time to prepare the objects for storage.  The goal of proper storage is to:

•  stabilise the objects so they have no chance of rolling around and coming in contact with each other,
•  package them so that they will have minimal or no possibility of interaction with anything which may affect their condition (an example is off-gassing or other chemicals),
•  package them so that they can be moved short distances such as from on-site storage to exhibit or work rooms,
• label each box or storage container with the contents to facilitate ease of access.

With a bit of research and suggestions by the Senior Conservator, Chris Lavergne, at Nova Scotia Museums a product called ethafoam is recommended and most widely used in conservation.  It is strong, yet flexible and stable.  Here is a link to more information from a US supplier http://www.conservationresources.com/Main/section_10/section10_16.htm

It would be used by sizing it to fit in boxes and carved out to the shape of the object and fitted to reduce the chance of rolling around and getting damaged.  However, from a local supplier the price ranges from $70 to $90 per sheet of 2 feet by 4 feet and 3 to 4 inches thick.  This is out of the range of the budget for the museum at this time.  I suggested an alternative of using acid free paper scrunched up and wrapped around each object in a manner that would normally be done by moving companies when transporting household goods long distances.  The museum has a large supply of acid free paper that was donated some years ago.  I also suggested that we store the glass and ceramics in a separate box from the metals.  These alternatives were accepted by the curator.

Acid free paper on all sides, between objects, around objects

Exterior list of contents for ease of access

I started each box with a layer of scrunched up paper across the bottom and around the sides.  A flat layer of acid free paper separates each layer of objects.  Each object is carefully and completely wrapped up and then placed in the box with scrunched up paper between each object.  Although this is not an ideal solution it does fit the budget and the need.

Three "banker style" boxes were sufficient for this collection of nearly 40 objects.  However, the larger objects such as locomotive wrenches, large lamp on a pole, and the oil can are left unwrapped and unboxed and will simply be stored "as is" due to their size.

Roundhouse Objects Conservation - June 4 2013

June 4, 2013

I will not be at the museum for the next two weeks and will do more posts starting in the fall.  The next updates will discuss how to store the roundhouse collection using lower cost materials to ensure that they can be safely stored away for both long term and short term.

Railway Equipment Maintenance Tools



Locomotive tool with markings after sealing.

I finished the treatment of the two tools described in the last post by applying a layer of wax to stabilize them.  They are now both sealed from moisture and flaking from handling.  I have had several visitors to the museum on the Tuesday that I am there working on objects and was able to show the visitors how I apply the wax and discuss the usage of these tools.  Thus far, they are proving to be of interest and are an effective teaching tool.  They are ready to be handled and shown to visitors or stored away for future exhibits.  The photograph on the right shows the locomotive tool with the etched letters DAR and CS.  You can see the fine layer of wax which does not obscure the markings nor the other unevenness of the metal.  The two photographs below show an example of the tools used and material removed from the greasing tool as I was working on it and then an example of the same area after it has been sealed with the fine layer of wax.



 

Greasing tool with the tools I used to remove corrosion.

Greasing tool after treatment, same area.



Roundhouse Objects Conservation - May 28 2013

May 28 2013

I have been updating the public database NovaMuse.ca with any additional information such as research, photographs, updates and so on.  The challenge has been to get the work done on the larger objects.  I have been working on the objects pictured below.  Normally for objects of this size a simple, general clean would be done and then store them away.  However, in this case, these objects work well as teaching tools for education in maintenance procedures and the tool usage by maintenance staff in the early days of railroads in Annapolis Valley.  Therefore, I have elected to carefully brush away and pry loose as much of the corrosion as I can and then apply a layer of wax to seal these from moisture and facilitate handling and storage.  I have documented these procedures on metal objects in detail in the past so won't repeat them here.

It is likely that the first tool below was used on locomotives.  It fits nuts of 4.0 cm at one end and 4.5 cm at the other.  It is S shaped to fit in tight situations.  It has the letters DAR etched at each end just below the bottom of the U on both sides which stands for Dominion Atlantic Railway.  Just a short distance down the handle are the letters CS which I have asked local railway collectors about.  The theory is that this stands for Car Shop.  In other words railway car shop.  I know from previous research that, in the past, employees would etch their initials in tools that they owned when an employer insisted that employees supply their own tools.  It was a source of pride for craftsmen to have their own tools.

Locomotive Wrench

The second tool below was used to open the lid on a greasing box above the wheels of a rail car and then used to pack in grease.  The wheel bearings were checked regularly by the maintenance staff in case they were heating up due to the friction when the grease was running low.  Overheating could cause breakdown of the bearings and potentially lead to a derailment.  This tool was essential to the safe operation of the railway.  It does not have an etched marks.

Bearing Grease Tool

Roundhouse Objects Conservation - May 21, 2013

May 27, 2013

Back At The Museum

After the winter break (late December to late March) I am now back at the museum continuing work on the Railway Roundhouse demolition objects.  I hope to continue submitting posts on at least a weekly basis over the coming season which will only be interrupted by camping weeks and other breaks over the summer.

Update On Insulators

A reader recently commented on my post  Roundhouse Objects Conservation - December 27 2012 to point out that what I had labelled as a power line insulator was likely a telegraph line insulator.  After some research I found out that glass insulators were introduced in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines but evolved along with the technology for use with power lines, lightning rods, and other applications.  Porcelain insulators had been in use before glass also for telegraph lines but evolved to be used primarily for power lines due to their greater strength and surface resistance.  As a follow up, I asked several local long term railway object collectors and they confirmed that glass insulators were most often used for telegraph lines but were sometimes used for power lines, especially lower voltage.  I will  label these  in the future in general terms as insulators  and comment accordingly.  You can look these up on www.novamuse.ca using accession numbers 2007.012.021 and 2008.005.006 respectively.  Type in these numbers in the search box.

Glass Insulator - telegraph

Porcelain Insulator - power