Maintenance of Property & Regalia
*********************************

I borrowed the title because I also borrowed heavily from Appendix N in the treasurer's handbook
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Part of the treasurer's job description is accounting for all the "stuff"
your group owns. Everything from the soup ladles to the crowns and coronets
is (supposed to be) on a property list somewhere. Regalia (expensive
ceremonial items that don't wear out) is listed on a form every quarter,
property with a purchase value over a certain amount is listed also (but on
a different form.)

If your group owns few things, you are probably keeping the property list (1
pot - stored at Ldy. Grizzly's.) If your group owns many things, it may be
time to start thinking about a deputy. A deputy in charge of "stuff"
(propertymaster, quartermaster, be creative in the title!) can devote more
time to keeping track of it and caring for it than the treasurer.

Sometimes the "stuff" is not treated well. Often due to carelessness,
sometimes due to ignorance of proper care methods, and even occasionally by
Acts of God and nature. Thrones have been dumped in the backs of pickups and
have been rained upon. Crowns have been placed on the roofs of cars and the
owners have driven off only to notice when the symbol of the monarchy flies
off at 50+ miles per hour. Banners have been packed away soaking wet after
camping events only to have their surface become green and furry. Scepters
and orbs have been tossed loose into the trunk of a car and then squashed by
40 lbs of plate armor. Nevertheless, it is important that we preserve these
items and make them last as long as possible so that the future monarchs of
the Society can have the same fine, carefully crafted pieces of regalia that
our current monarchs have.

Hereafter follows some basic information about care in general, as well as
individual instructions for care of crowns and other metal items, leather
items, wood items, cloth items, and miscellaneous objects. These
instructions should get you through in a pinch, but an experienced
craftsperson should be consulted if there is time to do a proper job of
repair or maintenance. If you have any doubts about your skills or ability
to provide the necessary time to maintain the regalia entrusted to your
care, find someone else willing to be responsible to care for these items,
and make them your deputy. Most (if not all) of this information was double
checked with the Northern States Conservation Center's web site [1]

A. General Care
===============

1. Crowns and Other Metal Bits
------------------------------

One of the most arduous tasks around is the constant polishing of crowns and
coronets. Many of these are made from brass and as such; they tarnish while
you watch. Some people have suggested that brass crowns be coated in a clear
varnish. This is generaly a BAD idea. Varnishes run and splotch and rarely
look invisible. The varnish can be scratched easily leaving tarnished
streaks and will soon make the crowns look cheap and shoddy. This also makes
crowns difficult to repair, as all of the varnish needs to be removed before
a stone setting can be repaired or a solder joint or a crack can be mended.

Most polishing can be avoided if the metal is wiped down with a soft cloth
*before* being packed away. An overall patina is not nearly as noticeable as
a set of fingerprints where the "hat" is adjusted all day. Polishing is
removing the top layer of metal that shows a chemical reaction. Especially
when dealing with modern plated objects, repeated polishing will leave you
with the underlying metal exposed.

When polishing brass or other metals, it is best to use a non-abrasive
polish. Brasso and Comet Copper Cleanser are poor choices. The goal is to
find something non-abrasive, not too harsh and *controllable*. This last is
of prime importance, as one of the signs of a hurried polish job is dried
polish in the crevices. In my experience, a cream polish worked into a soft
cloth gives the most control. You don't need a lot of polish, elbow grease
is needed. Creams I've used with good results: Flitz, Mother's Mag Wheel &
Aluminum Polish. Many people swear by Never-Dull, a liquid-soaked cotton
wadding. On flat surfaces it's fine, but the liquid is hard to control when
polishing intricate things. If that's all you have, try wrapping a piece of
the wadding in a soft cloth to absorb the liquid :-) For how the
professionals do it:
THE CARE AND PRESERVATION OF Historical Brass and Bronze [2]

When dealing with ferrous metals (iron or steel), it is an absolute must for
the piece to be coated in oil or wax to prevent rust. Rust is the worst
enemy of ferrous regalia. It will pit and discolor the piece and will
forever damage the finish unless it is protected.

Waxes are preferable over oils for most regalia. Oil can be messy and is
easily wiped off, whereas wax will be significantly less messy and more
durable. Most museums prefer carnauba wax for their fine pieces. Renaissance
Wax (or other "microcrystalline" waxes) is prefered by museums because it is
inert and will not yellow over time. If you are unable to find this product,
you can use something as common as a car polish with carnuba wax. A soft car
polish may be all you need, as the solvents that make the wax soft and
spreadable will also help clean the object. Just follow the directions
carefully and buff!

*For short term storage and transportation:* Use a box made of wood or other
sturdy material, and line with fabric over foam. It may be more convenient
to be able to store more than one set of crowns in a box. Don't make the
boxes too big or heavy, they still have to be carried around. Two small
boxes may be better than one huge box.

*For long-term storage:* Wipe the metal down with a soft cloth and wear
cotton gloves to handle the item. The oils found on skin can literally etch
into the metal (think a permanent record of fingerprints.) Unless it is
badly (and unevenly) tarnished, it is not necessary to "polish" an item
before packing for storage; the existing (light and even) tarnish (think of
it as a patina) will act as a protective barrier in storage. A box for
long-term storage should not be made out of plywood or particle board as the
adhesives can accelerate metal deterioration. Seal the interior wood
surfaces with lacquer or polyurethane (not latex paint.) Glues, commonly
found foam and newsprint should also be avoided. Padding made out of natural
fibers, pure polyester fibers or inert foam should not affect the metal.

*To minimize tarnish during storage:* The goal is to control the environment
inside the box. Humidity and contaminants are what make tarnish (oxygen
makes a patina, which is different.) Companies such as 3M and Pacific make
strips and cloths that absorb sulfur (an airborne contaminant) and silica
gel or activated charcoal will absorb humidity. Both the sulfur and humidity
"absorbers" will eventually need to be replaced. A bag made out of a silver
cloth will provide a fair amount of protection for metal items. You may use
an archival quality sealing bag to store metal in (not a standard "zipping"
bag and never plastic wrap), wrap the pieces in cloth first to protect the
item and prevent the bag from tearing. Do not use rubber bands to hold
things, cotton strips will look better and not leave nasty tarnish lines.

2. Gems and Other Precious Stones
---------------------------------

The biggest rule is "Don't polish the gems with the metal polish!". This
goes for all gems, but most especially the softer, cheaper gems that are
most common in regalia. Gems should be wiped clean with a soft cloth. Water
*can* damage some gems, and cause the silvering to peel from the back of
fakes. Storage rules are the same as for metals (see above), humidity can
harm some gemstones. Individual bags or containers should be made for small
pieces to protect them during storage and transport.

Licensed jewelers will usually inspect for damage at no charge. Don't be
shy; they love seeing regalia, and it isn't uncommon for them to see
gem-encrusted stuff. They can also do appraisals for insurance purposes.
Tell them you are with a 501(c)(3) organization.

3. Leather Objects
------------------

For many years the recommendation has been that leather items should be
"dressed" (treated with an oil or wax based dressing) on a regular basis.
Lanolin or Neetsfoot oil are traditional, there is an 'archival' mixture of
lanolin and neetsfoot oil available from supply houses that works well. In
recent years this practice has been questioned for museums, but for our
purposes (leather that is used in field conditions) dressing is still a good
idea to protect (if not to preserve) the leather.

To clean leather, first try brushing the object. If neccessary, use a mild
soap and water such as Murphy's Oil Soap or a basic saddle soap. Use a soft
cloth so as not to scratch the finish of the leather. Let the object dry
throughly and reapply dressing.

More than anything, it is important to keep leather dry. If something gets
wet, don't let it remain wet or sit in an enclosed space such as the trunk
of a car for any length of time. Do not force leather to dry quickly by
heating it - this will damage the object. Even a blow dryer can damage the
leather and remove valuable oils. Simply set it in a warm dry place.

4. Wooden Objects
-----------------

Wooden objects should be treated in a similar manner to leather ones. They
should be cleaned and kept as dry as possible. Cleaning should be done when
needed, use as little water as possible (an oil soap is probably ok) and
then they can be waxed with a good furniture polish. Be aware that if you
use a silicon wax, it may be a permanent choice. Like leather, it is
important to keep wood dry. If something gets wet, don't let it remain wet
or sit in an enclosed space for too long. And, like leather, do not force
the wood to dry quickly by heating it.

Thrones and other large items*. Use canvas bags to keep them dry and safe
from being gouged or scratched. Try to have thrones that break down into
flat pieces for easier packing. Make sure to have some smaller bags for the
small pieces, preferably with labeled with the items and quantity to
minimize losses.

5. Cloth Items
--------------

Small cloth items should by divided into two categories (machine wash and
dry clean only) and they should be permanently labeled as to which category
they belong.

Objects that are only dry-cleanable should be treated exactly like your best
clothes and taken to a professional cleaner. You may get some strange looks
when you bring in a 30' tall hand embroidered 12th century banner, but it is
better than the dirty looks (or fatal looks) that you will get from the
person who made it when they discover that you destroyed it in your washing
machine. The cost is allowable as an expense.

Washable items should be treated like normal clothes (remember to separate
your colors). If your regalia has colors that tend to fade or bleed (like
the Midrealm banners with the red stripe on the white field), then you may
want to hand wash them or wash them in cold water in the delicate cycle of
your machine. For cotton items, adding ordinary table salt to the wash water
may help set the dye.

Rugs and many other things can be vacuumed (with a hose, not a rotary
brush), this will often remove an astounding amount of dirt.

Bags of some sturdy fabric like canvas or heavy corduroy will help banners,
pillows and other fabric items clean during transportation and storage.

Pavilions and shade flys should be packed away dry. If packed wet, they
should be set up and allowed to dry as soon as possible. Dirt can be removed
(usually) with a garden hose. Use canvas bags to store stakes, ropes, roof
and walls. Poles can be painted or placed in canvas bags.

*Some general suggestions for mildew/mold: * Mold spreads with spores, so
try to work on the item outside, away from other things. Remove as much as
you can with a broom (be sure to wash the broom afterwards.) Vacuum (with a
hose, not a rotary brush!) the item, and throw away the now mold filled bag.
Dry the item thoroughly, heat (particularly sun) and air will help stop mold
growth. If the item is washable, washing and treating with fungicides may
help, remember to read the product contents and instructions and to color
test a small area of the item before applying chemicals.

6. Other items
--------------

Candles should be kept in a cool dry place so they won't melt (a cooler
works well).

Objects made of glass, paper, ceramics, feathers, eggs, etc. should simply
be treated carefully. These pieces may well be the most fragile bits of
regalia in the possession of the branch. They should be kept clean and dry,
and transported in such a way as to limit the possibility of breakage. If
they get dusty, a soft paintbrush or makeup brush can be used to remove the
dust.

Do not use crumpled newspaper as packing material as the ink will get on the
items and flimsy paper quickly loses its protective ability. Bubble wrap
(available from the post office or office supply stores) works much better.
Best would be to make containers, and use closed-cell foam (cut and glued to
shape) as padding.

For just secure storage and occasional moves, bubble wrap is probably fine,
but once around is not enough for decent protection. Wrap the item two or
three times, tape the wrap shut in at least two places, and make sure that
all sides are covered, even if it means cutting out circles and placing them
within the ends of the already-wound main wrap. Tape the ends on to ensure
they don't fall off.

B. REPAIR
=========

If an object breaks while it is in service, the current possessor should
contact you for guidance. *Don't try to repair it yourself * unless you are
an expert in the craft with which the object was made. Well-meaning but
incorrect repairs have often been the cause of much damage to pieces of
regalia. While it may temporarily fix the problem, it may be of long term
detriment to the proper functioning and repair of the item. Even something
as simple as a piece of duct tape can strip the finish from wood or leather
and can leave a permanent stain on a cloth item.

The original maker should be contacted and asked to do the repair. If this
is impossible, then some other suitable artisan should be sought. A good
place to start is by looking at the mailing list of the Laurels in the
Kingdom and seeing if they would like to do the repair or if they are able
to recommend someone who can. At the very least, an expert should be
contacted for guidance before attempting a repair. Remember, two heads are
better than one, someone else may come up with something that a you may not
have thought of on your own.

*For Emergency Situations:* The first guideline is not to do anything that
can't be undone. Another guideline to remember is the repair material should
not be stronger than the original - don't use fishing line to repair a
cotton banner. Emergency repairs should only attempt to stabilize the item
for transport to an expert.

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On to Part 6 - Other Aspects of the Office
I changed my mind GET ME OUT OF HERE!


1: http://www.collectioncare.org/
2: http://www.hfmgv.org/explore/artifacts/brass.asp