Cork

Lynn Gorges inquired about an "acceptable" adhesive for adhering
dried cork to the outer fabric of a ca. 1884 pith helmet. Without
going into an analysis of the nature of this type of request from
someone who is not listed in the AIC directory, I would start out
with asking several questions about the problem:

    1.  Is the use of an adhesive to stabilize the cork the only
        option?

    2.  Can an internal support (i.e. 6 mil mylar) of a fairly stiff
        material be inserted to hold to the cork, esp. if there is a
        stiff rim around the brim of the helmet?

    3.  Have you done tests with similar material or a didactic
        object to see how much adhesive can be used without
        discoloration, and which type (heat activated, solvented, or
        water-based) would be most effective without stiffening and
        discoloring the fabric?

I would suggest that you look at other options besides adhesion, and
also test various conservation quality adhesives on cork/fabric
samples, keeping in mind that new materials might react differently
than aged materials.I would also recommend that you become familiar
with the textile conservation literature that discusses the use of
adhesives on fabrics.

Paul S. Storch, MA, PA AIC
Objects Conservator

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:11
                 Distributed: Wednesday, July 23, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-11-001
                                  ***