Progress on Bounty Cannon Conservation

Janelle Blucher has spent a painstaking week slowing covering and re-covering every inch of the cannons surface. She has been removing microscopic pieces of the original surface coating with Kwik Strip, then using citric acid with thiourea to remove surface corrosion. This is slow methodical work that requires intense concentration and Janelle has not let up all week – good on you Janellle!

By the end of the week Karina Acton, our specialist consultant from International Conservation Services had given Janelle the all clear to start applying rusticide on the outside. Having done this she will now leave the cannon for a few weeks and see if any further corrosion spots appear before the final sealing. For the bore, silica gel will be inserted and left over the next few weeks, prior to the final sealing with vapour guard pads. The pads are essentially scotch guard pads that are impregnated with corrosion inhibitors.