Wet cast iron

A 19th century steam and water mill is being restored here in
Jersey.  One feature that has been exposed in the renovation is the
housing for a large flywheel that was set with its axle at floor
level in one of the rooms.  The depression into which the 4 meter
flywheel originally sat was lined with rivetted cast iron sheets to
keep the ground water out.  This iron structure has been completely
submerged in fresh water for about a century and has now been pumped
out and cleaned (it still however stands in waterlogged ground). The
iron is in very good condition but damp patches are appearing at
some of its rivetted joins.  I am hoping for some advice about what
should now be done to protect the structure which will now stay in
situ, dry and on display.  I was unsure whether painting the iron on
the exposed dry side might do more harm than good.  The structure
cannot be extracted to allow a coating to be applied to the wet
side.  Any help would be gratefully received.

Neil Mahrer
Conservator
Jersey Heritage
Jersey Archive
Clarence Road
St Helier
Jersey JE2 4JY
+44 1534 833337
Fax: +44 1534 833301


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:2
                   Distributed: Monday, June 23, 2008
                        Message Id: cdl-22-2-014
                                  ***