DONATIONS / SPONSORS W

Wheel Fixtures - The medium-duty wheels donated by Wagner Castors are used on small dollies built in the lab to facilitate moving the heavier/larger artifacts around during their conservation. The carriages, built to support and move the Belle's bronze cannon and eight cannon from the Fort Saint Louis site, use these wheeled dollies.

Waterpiks - Waterpiks donated by Teledyne Waterpik Corporation are used in the casting process of concretions. We have used waterpiks for over 20 years to clean out the natural molds left in encrustations by the corrosion of metal artifacts. The pulsating jet of water they produce is ideal for this purpose. Short 4- to 6-in. sections of tubing donated by Action Technologies are fastened to the hand unit to enable the conservator to get into deep and/or narrow recesses. This step is necessary before the mold can be filled with epoxy.

Mesh Polypropylene Bags - Mesh polypropylene bags donated by Western Packaging Corporation are used to hold small friable artifacts during a wide range of conservation procedures. They are not affected by most organic solvents and may be used to treat artifacts in solvents.  They can be also used to hold artifacts while they undergo fresh water rinses.

Coveralls - The all-purpose work coveralls donated by Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company are ideal for the work performed at the lab. The coveralls provide basic protection against materials used in the treatment of all categories of artifacts and are comfortably lightweight for working in the heat of Texas.

Microcrystalline Wax - This wax is used in the final step of the conservation process to seal the surface of the metal with a waterproof barrier. The wax prevents water from entering the pores in the surface of the metal, thereby prohibiting the corrosion process from reoccurring.