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Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

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502 Conservation of Furniture<br />

(a)<br />

(i)<br />

(iii)<br />

(ii)<br />

(iv)<br />

(1)<br />

(2)<br />

(3)<br />

(4)<br />

(b)<br />

(1)<br />

(2)<br />

(3)<br />

(1)<br />

(1)<br />

(2)<br />

(3)<br />

Figure 11.6 Cleaving<br />

(a) Ideal conditions for cleaving or ‘pinging’ unwanted<br />

material from a surface:<br />

(i) (1) scalpel blade; (2) unwanted material has good<br />

cohesive properties but is brittle; (3) interface has poor<br />

adhesive properties and provides a plane of cleavage; (4)<br />

material or surface to be retained has good cohesive<br />

properties (strong, hard or tough)<br />

(ii) As the scalpel enters, material either side of the blade<br />

is compressed and forced outward, whilst material in front<br />

of the blade is in tension. A crack develops ahead of the blade<br />

(iii) Material either side of the blade is still under compression. The developing crack is diverted along the line of<br />

weakness caused by poor adhesion between the unwanted material and the substrate. Tension in the unwanted<br />

material is released as the crack develops<br />

(iv) The stress caused by scalpel blade is released as a fragment of unwanted material breaks cleanly away from<br />

the substrate<br />

(b) Unsatisfactory results from cleaving:<br />

(i) (1) strong cohesive properties in the unwanted material; (2) strong adhesive interface; (3) weak cohesive<br />

properties in substrate; result – no plane of cleavage leads to damaged substrate<br />

(ii) (1) lines of weakness in the substrate; result – unexpected damage<br />

(iii) (1) weak cohesive properties in unwanted material; (2) strong adhesive interface; (3) strong cohesive properties<br />

in substrate; result – residues may leave an unsatisfactory appearance<br />

(c) In practice, cleaving material is as complex as the surface itself. The stratigraphy may differ from place to place,<br />

the properties of a single layer may vary from place to place, there may be weaknesses at different points in<br />

different layers, or unwanted material may have been absorbed into a layer that is to be retained via cracks or<br />

porosity<br />

(i)<br />

(ii)<br />

(iii)<br />

(c)<br />

Wanted<br />

Result<br />

Result<br />

Result<br />

Unwanted

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