Preserving my great-grandfathers Chinese Opium Scale

For this project, I will be preserving my great-grandfather's Opium Scale so that it can be safely passed down through my family without the fear of damaging or losing it. This particular item is very valuable to my father's side of the family, as it is the only physical memory of our great-grandfather. These are the steps I followed to preserve the scale, keeping in mind that the scale and its case were composed mainly of wood:

1. Keep the object in an area where the humidity does not change often.

I started by placing the scale in a case where moisture could not get in. This prevents the wood from rotting.

This cabinet is where my family keeps old documents. I thought it would be fitting to store the scale in here as well.

2. Put in a secure container.

I also placed the scale in a tight container to keep out insects and other animals. Main examples are termites and cockroaches, who eat and deteriorate wood, respectively. This secure container also protects the item if it is removed from the non-humid area.

3. Prevent light from getting to the object.

Light, specifically sunlight, can deteriorate the finish on wood. To compensate, I stored the item in a dark area with no windows.

Sealed and placed in a cabinet.

4. Don't over-clean the item.

As I studied more on how to preserve antique items, I discovered that excessively cleaning the object can damage it extensively. A light cleaning to remove the dust was all that was needed.

I used a damp paper towel to clean the casing and the neck.

5. Apply a protective coating of varnish to protect the wood.

Finally, I applied varnish to the case of the Opium Scale. This protects the wood if we ever want to take the scale out and look at it, or when we handle it while moving the scale to a different container.