Hello, all.....
I need some guidance in understanding something, concerning "out-gassing". I have two medals (An EK1 and a SWB) that literally sat in their presentation boxes without being disturbed, for more than 50 years. They don't seem to have suffered any ill effects from being stored this way, and in fact they are both in stellar condition.
My question is this: I understand the science behind the PRINCIPLE of out-gassing, and the logic of not storing cases with medals makes sense on the surface, but how long would the two need to be in proximity to one another, before the metal or paint on a decoration would begin to show any degradation or deterioration?
I know that many of you have had items stored since the war in less than ideal conditions, yet they seem to have survived without appreciable damage. Are we, as collectors, now so environmental-conscious, that we may be overreacting slightly, to modern thought on this subject, or is it in fact, a genuine concern for the future of these items.
A friend who has seen some of the steps that I now take to preserve my collection, summed up the feeling that many people have by simply saying, "Jeez, that medal was in a box since the war, and it looks fine....Why fix it if it ain't broke?"
The logic of the science involved seems to escape me, when I am faced with the two examples that I own, and their seeming resistance to the out-gassing problem.
If someone could help me to understand, I'd be grateful.
(Thanks Stalhelm and Paul R.....(and Paul....Put.....a.....book.....together.....
)
Cheers,
Bob.
I need some guidance in understanding something, concerning "out-gassing". I have two medals (An EK1 and a SWB) that literally sat in their presentation boxes without being disturbed, for more than 50 years. They don't seem to have suffered any ill effects from being stored this way, and in fact they are both in stellar condition.
My question is this: I understand the science behind the PRINCIPLE of out-gassing, and the logic of not storing cases with medals makes sense on the surface, but how long would the two need to be in proximity to one another, before the metal or paint on a decoration would begin to show any degradation or deterioration?
I know that many of you have had items stored since the war in less than ideal conditions, yet they seem to have survived without appreciable damage. Are we, as collectors, now so environmental-conscious, that we may be overreacting slightly, to modern thought on this subject, or is it in fact, a genuine concern for the future of these items.
A friend who has seen some of the steps that I now take to preserve my collection, summed up the feeling that many people have by simply saying, "Jeez, that medal was in a box since the war, and it looks fine....Why fix it if it ain't broke?"
The logic of the science involved seems to escape me, when I am faced with the two examples that I own, and their seeming resistance to the out-gassing problem.
If someone could help me to understand, I'd be grateful.
(Thanks Stalhelm and Paul R.....(and Paul....Put.....a.....book.....together.....
)Cheers,
Bob.
) actually creates more of a problem than anything else. When I show people the medals in one case, and they look at the cases in another case, they always ask why the metals are here and the cases there? Then, I always have to go through the whole dreaded lesson about the dangers of case materials, period glues, papers, etc, and yes, finally "out-gassing" as well.
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