Check your local hardware store of County Health office.  There are
simple test kits for testing for lead paint.  One has a reagent that
will turn dark grey when in contact with lead based paint.    Dilute
(10%) HCl should fizz
In the presence of lime.


Keith Doms


-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Jeremy Pye
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 12:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Surface treatment of coffins

Greetings,

Thank you for those people that responded to my query
on the timber industry.  Your responses pointed me in
a good direction for my purpose.  I have another
question to posit now, which deals with the surface
treatments of coffins.  I know of very few sources
that have discussed this topic, aside from the
catalogs themselves listing their holdings, as well as
some oral histories that discuss the topic.

Yesterday, I was looking at some wood samples under
teh microscope and found one piece that had white
paint chips on it that seemed to have an interior that
was somewhat gray.  I was curious as to whether this
was a lead based paint, but found no one who could
give me a answer as to how to test that.  

Then, I was looking at a piece of wood from another
coffin, and found that it also had white paint, a
layer of red, and then another outer white layer. 
This white paint however looked very different, and
actually had a yellowish-green tint.  I was curious as
to wether this was some more organically based
paint...perhaps a whitewash.  I know that the main
ingredient in whitewash is lime, and I thought perhaps
over time the citric acids in that might turn the
color more yellow-green like I am seeing.  Does any
one have any ideas about this that might help me find
some sources of information?

Lastly, I am curious...if the wood was stained and not
painted, how would that appear in wood samples which
are partially deteriorated and blackened by soil and
fungal invasion?  

Best,
Jeremy Pye


 
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