Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see
the USS Monitor’s gun turret
conservation in action!
USS Monitor’s Gun Turret Tank Drained!!
Posted onPosts from Staff Writer
New Turret Anodes
Posted on
We’ve placed a new anode for the impressed current system to improve the corrosion protection of the Monitor’s turret. This anode is suspended within the turret to protect the interior metal surfaces.
The turret is made of eight layers of 1-inch thick wrought iron plate. You can see each of the layers in the photo below.
Wool Coat
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Elsa and Laura are treating fragments of a wool coat recovered from the turret. The coat would be similar to a 4-button pilot coat, and was made of dark blue felted wool.
Below, Elsa is pointing out a button hole and a pocket opening in the coat. Even after 140 years on the sea-floor, some of the stitching survives!
Drawer from Turret
Posted on
Elsa has finished treating a wood drawer that was recovered from Monitor’s turret. The drawer had an iron lock mechanism within a copper casing. During burial, the lock mechanism corroded away leaving only the wood drawer and copper casing.
Condenser Tank Work
Posted onThis week apprentices from Northrop Grumman’s Apprentice School are modifying the Monitor’s condenser treatment tank by installing a watertight door. This activity will take a week or two and is visible on our web cams. Conservators will begin extensive deconcretion, electrolysis, and disassembly of the condenser once the watertight door is installed. Check our webcams for progress.