Wooden Lock

Before Treatment

Cultural History

When it comes to surface mounted locks in England, they were primarily used to secure barn doors and other agricultural properties. Barn locks have evolved through the centuries in design and functionality as they have played a crucial role in agricultural life from storing livestock, crops and farming equipment thus the need to protect these valuable possessions was made to protect them from theft. Although the earliest barn locks were simple in design and function they improved around the 19th and 20th century that to the advancement of woodworking and metalworking as wood combined with metal components where the main materials were used to create them. One of the main reasons that surface mounted locks were so commonly used was that they were quite affordable and easy to install and maintain.

Condition Before Treatment

The surface of the iron, the lock body, latch mechanism, strike plate and keyed entry were all covered in a consistent red/brownish layer of corrosion, small rust flakes were visible and easy to remove indicating a low level of active corrosion. The level of corrosion on the metal surfaces is consistent this could be explained by the way the object had been exposed to high relative humidity conditions over an extended period of time with the wood absorbing more humidity resulting to this layer of corrosion it has today.
Throughout the surface of the wood a considerable amount of insect holes can be observed. Once the object had arrived in the conservation laboratory it underwent freezing treatment for a week which resulted in the total eradication of the insect infestation as no signs of pests were observed. the area has been affected the most by insect infestation, as the surface on that area is extremely fragile and crumbly with bore dust and small chunks of wood falling from the object easily. It is likely that the bottom part of the wooden body was resting on the ground for a long period of time exposed to dirt and humidity this conclusion could be easily justified as it is very profound that the bottom part is in the worst condition compared to the rest of the body.

Treatment

The aim of the following treatment applications is to preserve and protect the materials of the object by consolidating and stabilizing in a way that the minimal alteration will be caused to the object’s original material by preventing additional deterioration. The treatment must respect the object’s history by maintaining its appearance and details by cleaning the overall surface of the object and stabilizing the structural condition of the object.
The removal of the corrosion first began by using wood tools (hawthorns and pointy cocktail sticks) while wet cleaning the surface in order to remove the corrosion easily by using acetone under a fume extractor. Later on, mechanical cleaning with the use of scalpel and bristle brush was carried on to the corroded surface as the iron beneath was sturdy enough and in good structural condition, as a result it wasn’t damaged by the force. Lastly the wood surface had to be protected, a plastic PVC rubber was used to absorb dust and corrosion particles, leaving a cleaner surface on the object.
Light dry cleaning begun on the surface with a soft brush in order to remove dust and dirt before consolidation, next a smoke sponge damped in deionized water was used to remove the black staining on the surface of the wood body concluding the surface cleaning stage.

The bottom area of the wooden body was prepared for the application of CDD, cocktail sticks were used to cover the flight holes that needed to be consolidated in order for the CDD to reach the interior of the holes which would not be wanted since the adhesive wouldn’t be able to set on the interior surface. Once ready it was time to prepare the CDD crystals which were heated (Fig 10) and when it reached its melting point it was ready to be applied quickly throughout the surface with a brush. Before the application of the consolidant the CDD had to completely set thus a minimum of four hours needed to pass in order for the CDD to fully set. Once Cyclododecane was completely set it was time for the consolidation process to begin. A relatively thick syringe was used to insert the adhesive inside each flight hole with a total of 3 applications for each hole. The adhesive that was used was Paraloid B-72 5% in acetone.

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Reflection By The Conservator

This object was treated by Nick, click on his profile to learn more about him.