Musical instrument

Has anyone suggestions as to what might be used to glue a 400 year
old Serpent. The serpent in question is a musical instrument made up
of several wooden squares all glued together and then covered in
leather into the shape of a figure 3. The body of the snake is
approximately 4 inches in diameter and hollow.

The wooden structure inside the snake is riddled with worm holes and
extremely crumbly. We are looking for a suitable epoxy resin to
inject through the leather casing into the wood to both repair the
structural damage inside the tube, strength the inner crumbling
wooden layers of the tube (which are otherwise unreachable) and most
importantly leave behind an unbreakable resin sleeve to surround the
wooden structure.

Because of the condition of this piece, the instrument itself is
unlikely to ever be played again, ending up, once fully preserved,
on display in a museum environment.

Any suggestions as to techniques, products or contacts for advice
would be most appreciated. Araldite AY103 with HY956 hardener and
Epotek 301 have been suggested as suitable glues to repair some of
the broken wooden squares but we question if they would impart
sufficient strengthening properties over the inside area.

Mark G. Vine
Conservation Resources
England
Fax : +44 1865 747035

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:19
                 Distributed: Thursday, August 15, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-19-013
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