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Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

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738 Conservation of Furniture<br />

(a)<br />

(b)<br />

Figure 16.11 Cleaning painted parchment<br />

(a) Detail of a painted parchment panel before cleaning<br />

(b) After cleaning. Dry cleaning materials were used to<br />

remove dirt from the unpainted background<br />

Repair and support<br />

Parchment may be stiff, distorted or brittle and<br />

often requires indirect humidification before lifting<br />

edges or tears may be treated. Water in liquid<br />

form should never come into contact with<br />

the parchment. Spray application of water, for<br />

example from ultrasonic humidifiers or steam<br />

pencils, should not be used. The combination of<br />

heat and water is potentially disastrous.<br />

Localized humidification may be sufficient to<br />

soften the edges of the parchment to allow<br />

them to be flattened and realigned. Dampened<br />

blotting paper may be used as a reservoir for<br />

moisture. It must be isolated from the surface<br />

of the parchment using a semi-permeable membrane<br />

such as Gore-tex. The blotting paper may<br />

be covered with Melinex/Mylar to prevent<br />

evaporation of moisture from the blotting<br />

paper. As the parchment begins to soften,<br />

increasing pressure may be applied. When the<br />

parchment has been flattened, dry blotting<br />

paper may be substituted in order to reduce the<br />

moisture content. Heat should not be used in<br />

any conservation treatment (e.g. consolidation)<br />

until the parchment has been returned to ambient<br />

conditions and moisture content has stabilized.<br />

Once the edges of a tear have been<br />

realigned they may be supported from the rear<br />

of the parchment. The support material should<br />

have similar physical characteristics to the<br />

parchment and in particular should approximate<br />

the behaviour of parchment to fluctuations<br />

in relative humidity. It should also be<br />

mechanically weaker than the parchment.<br />

Materials such as artificial sausage casings,<br />

goldbeaters skin (processed sheep intestine),<br />

parchment or non-woven synthetic textiles<br />

(e.g. Reemay) have been used (<strong>Wood</strong>s, 1995).<br />

Adhesive applied to parchment should form<br />

an adhesive bond to the surface it is applied<br />

to, but should not penetrate through the thickness<br />

of the parchment. Any adhesive which<br />

wets through to the upper surface of the parchment<br />

will cause it to become translucent. The<br />

adhesive should be flexible.<br />

Beva 371 may be used to adhere a support<br />

to the rear of the parchment. As is the case<br />

with leather, stronger bonds may be formed<br />

when adhesive is applied to the support material<br />

rather than the parchment. A thin even<br />

layer of Beva 371 may be applied, either as a<br />

slightly warmed 40% solution as supplied or<br />

diluted with half the quantity of aromatic solvent<br />

to both the surface of the support. The<br />

solvent is allowed to evaporate, before reactivating<br />

the surface with solvent and pressing it<br />

into position. Moderate heat may be used to<br />

improve the adhesive bond. This technique<br />

will ensure a good adhesive bond but minimize<br />

adhesive penetration of the parchment.<br />

Aqueous adhesives are likely to be problematic<br />

for a conservator who is inexperienced in<br />

treating parchment and as a general rule<br />

should be avoided. More experienced conservators<br />

have used ‘dry’ solutions of wheat starch<br />

paste or collagen-based adhesives such as<br />

parchment size, rabbit skin glue or fish glue.<br />

PVAC and acrylic emulsions and dispersions<br />

which have a high aqueous content should be<br />

avoided unless diluted with a compatible<br />

hydrocarbon solvent.

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