Email: info@halcyonconservation.com TEL;07778990155
Heavily soiled in dirt, scoria, and penguin Guano these puttees were first dry brushed of any loose material and swabbed with IMS (Industrial Methylated Spirit) to both treat mould spores and to mobilise more embedded dirt layers. Once clean, the puttees were humidified, and once pliable, all brass and iron buckles were mechanically cleaned of corrosion products, converted, lacquered and waxed. remnant original wax upon the puttees was lightly buffed.
The sword had become disfigured due to numerous historic wax treatments caked with powdery corrosion (sitting high in the pitted blade). These opaque deposits of wax were removed in combination with any loose or active corrosion found on the blade. Once clean the blade was lacquered with Paraloid B72 and an addition of a fumed silica matting agent, to limit the tacky appearance of the protective coating. The penetration of the lacquer ensured there was no unsightly refraction in the pitted areas
The enamel plate was heavily corroded. All loose corrosion was removed with glass bristle brushes, and the areas free from enamel were converted with 5% tannic acid in IMS (Industrial Methylated Spirit). The iron staining upon the enamel was removed with a chelating agent saturated in cotton wool poultices.
Once the staining had been removed the all residues were cleaned with acetone, and the exposed core areas lacquered with Paraloid B72
The hookah base featured very heavily tarnished silver detail. In addition to the sulphur layers, outline of what appeared to be silver chloride products could be seen outlining the detail. The chlorides were dry brushed and treated with 5% formic acid solutions, then buffered/cleaned once removed. The sulphur tarnish was removed with a combination of chalk and silver cloths.
Mons Meg canon (now re-installed at Edinburgh Castle) is the largest and most important Medieval canon in the world.
Halcyon Conservation were sub-contracted through AOC Archaeology and Historic Scotland to Sympathetically strip the old paint system from the canon, and ensure no damage was caused to the substrate metal.
The canon was stripped with a powdered plastic medium, using the Hodge Clemco 'Softclean System'.
In 2010 the Antarctic Heritage Trust located (and retained for conservation) a number of cases of 'Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky' from Shackleton's Cape Royds Hut. In 2011-12 Stefan Strittmatter was part of the AHT's Conservation team designated to conserve both the cases, and their precious contents. Treatments included controlled thawing, removal of corrosion to the box fittings, and smoke sponging of any superficial dirt layers. In addition hundreds of fragments of scoria and penguin feathers were carefully removed from the straw packing cases.