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Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

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Consolidation<br />

Powdering or flaking is often associated with<br />

archaeological ivory, either as a result of age<br />

or the presence of salts as a result of burial.<br />

Spalling may be caused by the use of<br />

adhesives that exhibit excessive shrinkage.<br />

Snow and Weisser (1984) have described a<br />

consolidation treatment that may be relevant<br />

in such cases. Ivory incorporated into nonarchaeological<br />

furniture is more likely to have<br />

cracked, buckled or curled as a result of high,<br />

low or fluctuating RH. In such cases two<br />

options may be considered – humidifying and<br />

flattening the ivory, or supporting it in situ<br />

using an adhesive and bulking agent.<br />

Humidification<br />

The traditional treatment for curled and<br />

buckled ivory was removal followed by<br />

soaking in hot (but not boiling) water. This is<br />

not recommended as it is likely to exacerbate<br />

distortion or damage. The use of a humidification<br />

chamber is recommended to allow<br />

greater control of the process. Whilst humidity<br />

may be introduced comparatively rapidly,<br />

it is essential to return the ivory to ambient<br />

RH in slow stages to avoid splitting. RH may<br />

be raised up to 80% in a comparatively short<br />

time (days) depending on the thickness of the<br />

piece – thicker pieces may require weeks.<br />

Ivory often flattens as it is humidified but if it<br />

does not, it may be flattened with weights.<br />

Wide thin veneer (up to 1 mm) can be<br />

weighted fairly quickly, whilst narrow thicker<br />

pieces need to be weighted more slowly<br />

because of the increased risk that they will<br />

snap. Once flat, the weight/s should be kept<br />

in place while RH is lowered. RH should be<br />

reduced regularly and gradually, with rest<br />

periods in between to ensure the ivory has<br />

achieved equilibrium. Thicker pieces may<br />

require six to eight weeks, whilst the RH for<br />

thinner pieces can be returned to ambient in<br />

two to four weeks.<br />

Partially detached ivory that has not warped<br />

may be readhered using animal glue. This<br />

adhesive may be less desirable if the ivory is<br />

cracked, when capillary action may draw the<br />

adhesive along the cracks and darken them in<br />

time. If the adhesive bond has broken but the<br />

old glue still forms a coherent layer, it may be<br />

possible to introduce solvent-based adhesive.<br />

This option may be chosen when it is desir-<br />

Conserving other materials I 669<br />

able to leave original adhesive for future<br />

analysis or where the adhesive layer is very<br />

thick and its removal would require back<br />

filling before ivory could be relaid.<br />

Adhesives<br />

The thinner the ivory the more prone it will<br />

be to warp when exposed to aqueous<br />

adhesives. Whilst the use of animal glues is<br />

not recommended for three-dimensional<br />

ivories, it may be appropriate for reattaching<br />

ivory to furniture. If a collagen glue is used it<br />

should be freshly made and prepared in a<br />

non-ferrous glue pot. A good quality medium<br />

to high bloom strength glue, such as hide<br />

glue, rabbit skin glue or a high tack fish glue<br />

may be used, particularly where there is very<br />

little mating surface in a break and strength is<br />

a paramount concern. Proteinaceous adhesives<br />

provide a stronger bond on clean ivory than<br />

other adhesives. Paraloid B72 is a good<br />

adhesive for ivory. The flexibility of the<br />

polymer is affected by the solvent in which it<br />

was dissolved (see section 12.4.3). Some<br />

conservators prefer PVAC or acrylic dispersions<br />

because they are swellable in acetone.<br />

PVAC adhesives are generally stronger and<br />

less flexible than acrylics (Down et al., 1996).<br />

These synthetics may be more liable to exhibit<br />

cold flow (creep) under stress than a collagen<br />

glue and may retain water for longer, inducing<br />

re-curling. Residues of old adhesives must<br />

be removed from substrate and ivory to ensure<br />

a good adhesive bond. Reversing PVAC or<br />

acrylic adhesives often requires solvents that<br />

may damage adjacent materials or coatings.<br />

Cellulose nitrate adhesives have been used<br />

because they have good adhesive properties.<br />

They have been associated with yellowing,<br />

especially with exposure to light, though this<br />

may be less of a problem if applied underneath<br />

thick, non-translucent ivory. Epoxies are<br />

not usually appropriate because they tend to<br />

yellow, and if the joint is good it can be<br />

extremely difficult to reverse without damaging<br />

the ivory. Whichever adhesive is chosen,<br />

the reattached ivory should be weighted or<br />

cramped for twenty-four to forty-eight hours,<br />

depending on the complexity and size of the<br />

piece.<br />

Ivory may be secured in a non-planar<br />

position using an adhesive and bulking agent.<br />

A paste or putty may be made using Paraloid

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