Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

574 Conservation of Furniture
if a surface has been treated with a wax/resin
in the past. Both Beva 371 and wax/resin can
be used to impregnate facing paper and then
applied to a surface with a hot spatula to
quickly secure large areas of vulnerable surface.
Consolidant may be applied to a fragile surface
through facing paper (Figure 12.4). It may
be necessary to apply a thin isolating layer as a
pre-treatment, or to pre-wet to assist the penetration
of consolidant. The facing paper is laid
onto the surface and the consolidant applied on
top. When the consolidant is almost dry it may
be ironed with a heated spatula or massaged
gently with a fingertip. Drying time may be
partly dependent on the nature of the ground,
for example consolidant applied to a thick
gesso layer may take longer to dry than that
applied to a thin layer. The facing paper may
be left in place until the consolidant has dried,
and if necessary the treatment can be repeated.
When the area is dry and stable the facing
paper can be removed using a swab dampened
with a suitable solvent.
Volatile binding media offer an alternative to
traditional methods of facing. The use of
volatile binding media, such as cyclododecane,
to temporarily consolidate, face or isolate a surface
has been described by Stein et al. (2000)
and Jägers and Jägers (1999). These materials
are waxy solids at room temperature but are
characterized by an appreciable vapour pressure
with the result that they sublime (i.e. pass
from a solid to a gaseous phase without passing
through a liquid phase) within a comparatively
short time, leaving no residue on the
object. They have been used as temporary consolidants
to allow transport of damaged surfaces
for treatment. They can be applied
selectively and their hydrophobic character
allows treatment of adjacent areas with chemical
or aqueous treatments. They have been
applied to water-sensitive surfaces and the
upper layer of consolidant then removed to
allow aqueous treatment (e.g. cleaning) that
would otherwise be impossible.
12.3 Aesthetic reintegration
The term aesthetic reintegration is used to
describe the addition of new material in order
to bring a surface to an acceptable visual con-
dition. Aesthetic reintegration may include
infilling, retouching and the application of a
coating. It is important to consider the entire
process of reintegration before commencing a
treatment to ensure that the intended systems
and materials of treatment are compatible with
one another. It may be useful to think through
the process in reverse, with a clear final objective
in mind, considering the alternatives and
choices for each stage and the possible effects
of each successive layer on the next.
12.3.1 Fills
Introduction to filling
This section deals with filling losses to decorated
surfaces, though some materials may be
suitable for filling non-structural damage to
wood. Structural fills for wood are discussed in
Chapter 10. General information on filled polymer
systems can be found in Nielson (1966)
and Manson and Sperling (1976). Aspects of filling
decorative surfaces have been discussed by
Green and Seddon (1981), Hatchfield (1986),
Hebrard and Small (1991), Mecklenburg (1991),
Thornton, (1991a, 1991b), Von Endt and Baker
(1991) and Webb (1994). Thornton (1998) has
reviewed early gap-filling materials used in the
West.
Ethical arguments related to filling are similar
to those raised in relation to retouching. The
decision whether to infill a loss or not may
depend on the conservator and their conservation
discipline. Broadly speaking, there are
three approaches to the treatment of losses
from a decorated surface. These are to leave the
surface consolidated, well sealed but unfilled;
leave the surface unfilled but retouched; or fill
and retouch the decorative layers. This first
approach is not one that may be acceptable in
easel paintings conservation but may be
appropriate where an object is treated to stabilize
it, historical information is paramount and
damage is considered aesthetically acceptable.
Leaving the surface unfilled but retouched may
allow a design to be read without disruption at
a normal viewing distance whilst allowing identification
of retouching on close inspection,
often called the ‘six foot-six inch’ rule.
Traditionally, many restorers filled before
varnishing because this gave a crisper edge to
the fill and made levelling easier. Localized varnishing
was often required to prevent abrasion