Edmund Fitzgerald - Gitche Gumee

Date 8-22-05

TV17.org will interview the people who first examination the bell, the bell was coated with a dark red coating believed to be sulfide. In addition, iron corrosion "weeping" down from the top of the stand where it was joined to the bell was thickly crusted over the top of the brass.

There was significant iron corrosion as well as bubbling and flaking of paint.

Because the iron oxide was embedded, more soaking and scrubbing was required. Finally, researchers took the bell to a firm in Saint Johns that had a power washer that shot a blast of baking soda and water at high pressure. After some careful tests on other materials and the bell's interior, the soda blaster was turned on the outside of the bell and effectively stripped off the remaining tarnish.

The same paint originally used to paint the bell's steel stand was located and used for the repainting.

The bell was then remounted with the stand to be displayed at the MSU Museum between July 14 and 21, 1995.

Pictures of the Fitz bell.

Bell's Initial Condition

Stand's Initial Condition

Heat Gun

Plaque on Bell Clapper

Final Bell in Museum

Used with permission
Gail A. Vander Stoep
Michigan State University

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