Connecting to Collections Care

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 6/3/2021 1:04:00 PM
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 6/4/2021 11:46:00 AM
From: Greg Marsters
Subject: RE: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

What is the bell made of? What is the exposure, is it on display, or still in use?

Best, Greg

           Greg Marsters

           208-440-1671

      Custom Plaster, LLC

16565 N Horseshoe Bend Rd

       Boise, Idaho 83714

               

        customplaster.net

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Original Message:
Sent: 6/3/2021 1:04:00 PM
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Additional information - I believe the bell is bronze. It will be housed out of doors in a roofed enclosure, but with no walls, at ground level. They plan to ring the bell on special occasions but otherwise keep the clapper in storage.  It has no visible damage or staining other than the green patina overall. The inscription can still be easily read.  (Full disclosure, this is a question from an organization with which I am personally connected. Church bells are not in NEDCC's 'wheelhouse.' Many things are - but not this!)

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 13:16
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 6/4/2021 2:42:00 PM
From: Julie Martin
Subject: RE: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Additional information - I believe the bell is bronze. It will be housed out of doors in a roofed enclosure, but with no walls, at ground level. They plan to ring the bell on special occasions but otherwise keep the clapper in storage.  It has no visible damage or staining other than the green patina overall. The inscription can still be easily read.  (Full disclosure, this is a question from an organization with which I am personally connected. Church bells are not in NEDCC's 'wheelhouse.' Many things are - but not this!)

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 13:16
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Hi, Julie,

I would recommend the National Parks Service Museum handbook. The chapter on metal objects is available here:

https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/mhi/Appendix%20O.pdf

It offers concrete steps for preservation, but also recommends a conservator for any cleaning beyond a soft dry cloth. I understand finding and paying for a conservator's assessment may be difficult in their situation, but hopefully this will encourage them not to do it themselves. Does this seem like enough information for the organization?

Heather





------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 13:16
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Thank you, Heather! This is very helpful.

And thanks to Emanuele as well - fascinating detail of the treatment.

All best,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 16:32
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hi, Julie,

I would recommend the National Parks Service Museum handbook. The chapter on metal objects is available here:

https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/mhi/Appendix%20O.pdf

It offers concrete steps for preservation, but also recommends a conservator for any cleaning beyond a soft dry cloth. I understand finding and paying for a conservator's assessment may be difficult in their situation, but hopefully this will encourage them not to do it themselves. Does this seem like enough information for the organization?

Heather





------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 13:16
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 6/6/2021 1:50:00 PM
From: Julie Martin
Subject: RE: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thank you, Heather! This is very helpful.

And thanks to Emanuele as well - fascinating detail of the treatment.

All best,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 16:32
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hi, Julie,

I would recommend the National Parks Service Museum handbook. The chapter on metal objects is available here:

https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/mhi/Appendix%20O.pdf

It offers concrete steps for preservation, but also recommends a conservator for any cleaning beyond a soft dry cloth. I understand finding and paying for a conservator's assessment may be difficult in their situation, but hopefully this will encourage them not to do it themselves. Does this seem like enough information for the organization?

Heather





------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 13:16
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Thanks, Heather. The question is relayed from a small historical society in Maine. I agree that there is no reason it actually needs "cleaning."  That's the type of information I hope to collect here, before this organization does anything to damage the bell.

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010

Original Message:
Sent: 06-04-2021 12:59
From: Heather Hendry
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Hello, Julie,

I am the current C2C monitor- I admit I am a paper conservator and do not work on metals, so I will be checking in with other experts on this. I think we all agree that mixing flour, salt, and vinegar is not recommended. Metals can be very sensitive to chemicals and they tend to develop a protective patina that is often best left undisturbed.

I would question more deeply why the church bell "needs" cleaning. Is there a particular residue, or another issue motivating this question? Any additional information would be helpful.

Thank you,

Heather

------------------------------
Heather Hendry
Paper Conservator
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Philadelphia PA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Dear Julie,
A couple of years ago my team restored a 18th century bell from underwater exavation, in that occasion,  we used a combination of chemical and manual cleaning.
Before  to display our method, I would like to precise that each cleanin operation depend by the metal (or alloy) and by the substance that you wanna remove. Anyway, in our case for example, there were marine concretions and bronze cancer phenomena,  so, our aim was to remove the concrections and to extract the copper salts.

We first tried a cleaning with both brushes and a cationic surfactant with a proportion of 3% in demineralized water and ethanol.
Then, we used the same solution in compress (20 mins each compress); afterwards we used scalpels and micro-drill with nibs in different materials.

The residual carbonate encrustations were weakened by a series of packs of chelating solution of sodium potassium tartrate (10% Rochelle salts in deionized water).
The last residues of carbonate encrustations, following the weakening due to the action of the chelating packs, were promptly removed using the fixed blade scalpel.
Compresses of about 20 minutes each of 10% disodium EDTA in deionized water were also performed. The disodium EDTA has allowed the reduction of corrosion products present on the surface. At the end of each compress, mechanical removal of any inconsistent and coherent deposits was carried out with synthetic brushes and bathing the object in deionized water to eliminate residues of the chelating solution. 

I hope that could be help you,
Best wishes
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Casafredda
Conservator in Private Practice
London
+44 7413881769
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------

Julie,

A few years ago, we cleaned a bronze bell that is still in service.  It is hung in a wooden bell tower, with angled wood slat sides, so it is open to the elements (and birds).  It had some "graffiti" on it (signatures from locals that were decades old) that they did not want removed.  They also wanted to protect it from the bird poop.  Since it was generally in good condition, we treated it as we would maintenance on an outdoor bronze statue.  We cleaned it with Orvus and water and then coated it with a carnauba wax blend.  We had to use a blend because the temperatures in the bell tower are fairly extreme in the summer and we didn't want it to melt off.  Matt Reiley at Central Park Conservancy was able to give us some advice about that.
I hope that helps.

Anna

------------------------------
Anna Graff
Conservator
LDS Church History Museum
Salt Lake Cty UT
(801) 240-9308
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-03-2021 13:04
From: Julie Martin
Subject: Cleaning an 1888 Church Bell?

Does anyone have resources or advice on how to (and how NOT to) clean an 1888 New England church bell?  Someone in our oragnization has received advice from a for profit company, recommending a "flour, salt, and vinegar" solution.  Thoughts?

Thank you,
Julie Martin

------------------------------
Julie Martin
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Andover MA
(978) 470-1010
------------------------------