Seax? and a conservation question

[Matchlock]

Hi Teodor,

As to conservation, there is only one truly professional way to save the piece once and for all.

Put the item just the way it is right away in a water proof box and cover it with distilled water. The water should be renewed daily until no more bubbles can be noticed arising. By then, all the obnoxious yellowish salt particles should have been washed out.

Next, thoroughly dry the piece in an oven at ca. 150° Celsius for about two hours and let it cool down.

Then make a watered solution of tannin, a yellowish powder available at drugstores, and let the item rest in that solution, completely covered, for about 24 hours; turn it around one or two times. Take it out and rub it dry and there will no more problems arise whatsoever.

The method you suggested is purely chaotic and bound to destroy the item in the long run as the salt particles will unharmed remain in the metal and continue their destructive work beneath the lacquer or wax layer. Any acid cleaning will lead to heavy substantial losses and ruin the surface irrevocably.

Best,
Michael