Conserving/Restoration..

[RickWG]

Is there a thread anywhere concerning this? I restore old tools & (mostly) WWII aircraft etc & this place is starting to freak me out. I see multiple threads where people have dug something up & then in a naive attempt to "clean" it, they completely bugger it up or break it.
Surely someone on here is offering advice on how not to ruin what they just dug up or knows WTF they are doing?

[davejb]

Well there are enough experienced restorers and battlefield archaeologists in the forum and i wouldnt consider these people as naive nor do they "bugger it up" or break the items purposely, if anyone needs advice they just need to ask, as for numerous threads from people who have dug up items, please expand, as the only ones i know are from experienced members

[Walkwolf]

Indeed, there is a 'Restoration and Refurbishing' section.........

[cornishboy]

what a terrible thread

[Steve T]

Is there a thread anywhere concerning this? I restore old tools & (mostly) WWII aircraft etc & this place is starting to freak me out. I see multiple threads where people have dug something up & then in a naive attempt to "clean" it, they completely bugger it up or break it.
Surely someone on here is offering advice on how not to ruin what they just dug up or knows WTF they are doing?

Rick - Can I suggest that, in future, you try not to offend quite so many people in one statement. The vast majority of posts in this forum are started by extremely experienced people who have spent years recovering, cleaning, and preserving relics for future generations. Using the acronym 'WTF' should also be avoided as it is particularly inflammatory.

As walkwolf has pointed out, there is an entire forum devoted to restoring and preserving relics, (see 'Collectors community' in the main forum sections).

Many thanks

Steve T

[Whitehunter]

I found this very upsetting.

what 'WTF' do you mean 'attempt to "clean" it, they completely bugger it up'

[Steve T]

I suggest we give RickWG a chance to clarify what he meant and just calm down a touch.

Steve T

[Battery Command Post]

Is there a thread anywhere concerning this? I restore old tools & (mostly) WWII aircraft etc & this place is starting to freak me out. I see multiple threads where people have dug something up & then in a naive attempt to "clean" it, they completely bugger it up or break it.
Surely someone on here is offering advice on how not to ruin what they just dug up or knows WTF they are doing?

I think you do have a valid point in what you say, but i think that you completely 'buggered it up' by the way you said it. Although I don't work as one now, my professional training, that is, my degree, is in archaeology (or more specifically, archaeological science), and conservation is something i have professionally studied. As a result of this, I have all kinds of reservations about metal detecting in general, the keeping of proper records of finds, the level of skill on artefact conservation, the way the digging is done, the morality of destroying an archaeological site for collecting purposes, and so on....

However, as long as it is done legally, it's also none of my business, and because of this it is, i think, inappropriate and unreasonable, to attack anyone for doing it, and if the subject needs to be brought up, it has to be done politely. If it isn't, you just cause either a conflict, or everyone to ignore you.

Rob

[RickWG]

Maybe I just stumbled onto 3 or 4 threads where stuff was inadvertently damaged. I read several comments along the lines of "I was cleaning this & it broke/fell apart" I can be a bit brutally honest at times.

[Steve T]

Thanks for the clarity RickWG. I am sure you know as well as I that some relics are very fragile and all of us, at some point, will have a little mishap. Sometimes this is to do with the vigour with which we go at relics, sometimes it's due to us getting drunk and coming in one night and falling into our display cabinet, coughcoughwhitehuntercoughcough. Whatever the cause, we are as mortified as you obviously are when things get broken. After being in the ground for 65+ years we've accepted it as one of the challenges we face when recovering and preserving relics.

I am sure we've all done it. However, the number of relics we save far FAR outweigh the ones we damage, and it is this that we take as consolation when something bad happens.



Steve T