The bell of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was raised in 1995 by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.  It was restored before being placed in the museum by Michigan State University.  Below you will find a summary of the condition of the bell, and the steps that were taken to restore the bell.

Bell's Initial Condition
     The bell and stand were in a bad condition immediately following their removal from the ship.  At first glance, the bell was coated with a dark red covering which was believed to be sulfide, there was iron corrosion, and the letters spelling "Edmund Fitzgerald" were in bad shape.  Parts of the stand also had severe amounts of iron corrosion, and the paint was flaking and chipping.
     

Restoring The Bell
1.  Iron corrosion deposits were mechanically cleaned with dental picks.
     
2.  The maker's mark is made on the bell that says "GREENBERG SF-CAL." 
     

3.  The sulfide coating was removed with very soft toothbrushes and baking soda.
     

4.  Researcher's continued trying to use lemon juice and high concentrations of formic acid to wash the bell.
     

5.  The sulfide was removed with formic acid washes, and beneath was a thick coating of rust. Staff members soaked thick rags in formic acid and wrapped the bell up with them. After removing the rags, the bell was washed with baking soda and distilled water. When the heat gun was used on the bell to dry the metal and eliminate any left over acid, pore spaces on the bell began releasing oxides and many other chemical residues. 
     

6.  The iron oxide was embedded, so 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. 
     

7.  The bell was buffed several times after the last layers of patina were removed. 
     

8.  The plaque on the clapper gives the bell's specifications. It is 21 1/2 inches in diameter at the base, and weighs approximately 200 lbs..
     

9.  The bell was coated with six layers of lacquer at Michigan State University's Physical Plant. 
     

10.  The same type of paint used on the bell's steel originally was found & used in a repainting.  This repainting was completed with spray paint.
     
11.  Incised letters of the name "Edmund Fitzgerald" in black were completed in the Physical Plant at Michigan State University. 
     

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

13.  The original rope would be re-used on the bell's clapper. 

     
Finished Bell

     The restored bell of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is placed in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum for display as part of a commemoration to the wreck.