Ship Cleaning help needed - sorta

I think all of you guys are right. It is going to take some effort. I'm gong to try most of these ideas and research the CO2 idea.

francist, it is mostly wood . The sails (sheets?) look to be a cloth hardened with a resin or something. The rope is cotton string. The 3 rope ladders (6 counting both sides) are plastic and the only plastic I see on it. They really look out of place.
 
Ah, I suspected that may be so. The sails looked too real to be anything but actual cloth. Quite possible that the stiffening agent is a thinned glue, or maybe some kind of varnish or lacquer. Either way, high potential for them to go limp if soaked it water.

Good luck with whatever you choose, it's a nicely executed model by what I can see. Very realistic. As for the "sheet" no, not the sail itself but rather the ropes attached to the lower corners of the sails for pulling them into submission. Unlikely you will ever need to know that again, though! ;)

-frank
 
Knowing about a sheet - not in the middle of Kansas I don't imagine!
 
Would any of the aerosol anti-static sprays be of any help?
 
No real substitute for an evaluation by a trained conservator. That said, if it were mine I'd try:

For lifting off dust just sitting: a gum rubber tube maybe 3/8" ID hooked up to a vacuum. (Gum rubber because it's soft and flexible). Alternatively, one can buy a kit of miniature vacuum tools.

Camera shops sell a combined squeeze bulb/soft brush for lens cleaning. Try this, with a fan blowing away, as suggested so dust isn't re-deposited.
 
I forsee hours of hand cleaning with small picks and brushes with a bit of pledge and camera dust off sprayer.
 
Glenn Brooks said:
+1 on the low pressure air brush. Also you might experiment with using masking tape to lift off dust from some or all of the surfaces.
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Also try some rolled up modeling clay to pick up the dust, works on old paintings too. Touch it against areas you want to clean, and frequently roll it up to expose fresh areas of clay.
olcop
 
Silverbullet said:
I forsee hours of hand cleaning with small picks and brushes with a bit of pledge and camera dust off sprayer.
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Won't need all of those hours of painstaking work if I display it from the back of a basement closet!
 
How about using one of the small computer vacuums. Not as much suction but might be worth a try.

"Billy G"
 
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