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Steve Sarak
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 Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 10:12 am Post subject: How to take care of a bronze sword. |
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Hi,
I just picked up a 1000BC Italian bronze sword. Since it doesn't rust, is there anything to worry about, if I display it out in the open. I can use Ren. Wax but but since it has a slight brown-green patina I don't know if its necessary?
Thanks for any help.
Last edited by Steve Sarak on Wed 03 May, 2006 2:38 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Arne Focke
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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In a museum they are often protected by a coat of acrylic resin (I am not quite sure if my translation is correct).
Hoy about a picture of the sword? I am surely not the only one interested in seeing it. 
So schön und inhaltsreich der Beruf eines Archäologen ist, so hart ist auch seine Arbeit, die keinen Achtstundentag kennt! (Wolfgang Kimmig in: Die Heuneburg an der oberen Donau, Stuttgart 1983)
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Steve Sarak
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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I don't really want to put an acrylic resin on it, unless absolutly necessary, because the resin is so permanent and if I try to take it off later, I'm not sure what would happen.
If I do need to, is there a certain kind? I'm sure it not the same that I'd pick up at the hardware store, or is it?
Being bronze, does it even need a protective coat and if so what about the Ren. Wax.
I haven't recieved the sword it, it should be another week or two. Once I do, I'll post some pictures.
Thanks again
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Dan Howard
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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If you don't want to polish it first then Renaissance Wax will do fine. If you want to polish it first before treating it then perhaps Vitamin E oil might be a better coating.
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Steve Sarak
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Dan Howard wrote: | | If you don't want to polish it first then Renaissance Wax will do fine. If you want to polish it first before treating it then perhaps Vitamin E oil might be a better coating. |
Thanks for the response. First, considering that it's bronze, is it necessary to treat it at all? Second does polishing it add a protective coat to it or does it just clean it up. It's not really dirty, and I don't want to take off any of the patina, assuming that it comes off the easily.
Since its bronze, can I just leave it exposed to the atmosphere?
Again, thanks for the help.
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Dan Howard
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Polishing it will remove the protective patina so it will need coating with something afterwards - unless you want to regularly polish it. Bronze corrodes but a lot more slowly than iron so it should have some sort of protective coating. Is it a 3000 year old antique or is it a replica? If it is an antique then I definitely wouldn't polish it. Just coat it with Renaissance Wax and leave it alone.
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Steve Sarak
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Dan Howard wrote: | | Polishing it will remove the protective patina so it will need coating with something afterwards - unless you want to regularly polish it. Bronze corrodes but a lot more slowly than iron so it should have some sort of protective coating. Is it a 3000 year old antique or is it a replica? If it is an antique then I definitely wouldn't polish it. Just coat it with Renaissance Wax and leave it alone. |
Its not a replica, it's an antique. So I guess I'll use the Ren. Wax.
I haven’t received the sword yet, so I haven’t been able to take any pictures, but here’s one from Hermann Historica, where I got it from.
 Attachment: 9.91 KB
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Jeff Pringle
Industry Professional
Location: Oakland, CA Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | can I just leave it exposed to the atmosphere? |
Depends on your atmosphere, but it will want to oxidize. Bronze will form (and the blade probably has) a stable patina that stops corrosion, but when you change the environment you will disturb the equilibrium.
What's the relative humidity in your storage/display location?
What atmospheric pollutants are likely floating around (near the ocean? major highway/bus route)?
How much handling of the piece do you expect to do?
RenWax is good up to a point.
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Steve Sarak
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Jeff Pringle wrote: | | Quote: | | can I just leave it exposed to the atmosphere? |
Depends on your atmosphere, but it will want to oxidize. Bronze will form (and the blade probably has) a stable patina that stops corrosion, but when you change the environment you will disturb the equilibrium.
What's the relative humidity in your storage/display location?
What atmospheric pollutants are likely floating around (near the ocean? major highway/bus route)?
How much handling of the piece do you expect to do?
RenWax is good up to a point. |
What would you recommend? I can use the wax once a year, but of course there might be build up in some places while others fade faster.
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Jeff Pringle
Industry Professional
Location: Oakland, CA Joined: 19 Nov 2005
Posts: 145
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Whatt would you recommend? |
I don't really know enough about your situation to make specific recommendations, but if you do a google search for "bronze conservation" or similar, you'll get to pages like this one:
http://www.hfmgv.org/explore/artifacts/brass.asp
(hey, they like Renaissance wax, too! )
After reading through a few of them, you should be able to make the right decisions.
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George Hill
Location: Atlanta Ga Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 614
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| Posted: Wed 03 May, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Steve Sarak wrote: | | Dan Howard wrote: | | If you don't want to polish it first then Renaissance Wax will do fine. If you want to polish it first before treating it then perhaps Vitamin E oil might be a better coating. |
Thanks for the response. First, considering that it's bronze, is it necessary to treat it at all? Second does polishing it add a protective coat to it or does it just clean it up. It's not really dirty, and I don't want to take off any of the patina, assuming that it comes off the easily.
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Don't polish an antique! It can ruin the value. (There are exceptions, but it's best to consult with an antique professional if you have one of those.)
To abandon your shield is the basest of crimes. - --Tacitus on Germania
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Arne Focke
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 04 May, 2006 1:39 am Post subject: |
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NEVER polish an original. Apart from the collectors value it most certainly destroys any archaeological value the piece might still have.
So schön und inhaltsreich der Beruf eines Archäologen ist, so hart ist auch seine Arbeit, die keinen Achtstundentag kennt! (Wolfgang Kimmig in: Die Heuneburg an der oberen Donau, Stuttgart 1983)
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Don Stanko
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| Posted: Thu 04 May, 2006 5:48 am Post subject: |
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My suggestion is to leave it as is. As long as it is kept in your house and not outside or in a damp basement or garage you will have no problems. The patina is valuable and should not be disturbed. The only issue with the deterioration of bronze is "bronze disease" which can eat away the metal and leave a toxic residue in its place. I wouldn't worry too much about that, I've only seen one case in the years I've been collecting and I'm not sure what chemical reaction caused it. So as long as you do nothing out of the ordinary you should be fine.
Don
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Steve Sarak
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| Posted: Thu 04 May, 2006 8:05 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the responses. I wasn't really planning on polishing it; I just wanted to understand what Dan was saying.
I'll check the links posted and see what they have to say. I like the idea of letting it sit and not doing anything, letting the patina take care of it. But since I'm only the temporary owner, the sword as been around for 3000 years and hopefully will continue long after I'm gone, I want to do my part to take care of it. So I'll do some research.
Again, thanks for your input.
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