Removal of crayon markings

(Interesting thread on crayons, here's my 2 cents:)  As has been
well discussed, the problem with removing wax crayons with solvents
is the tendency for the solvent to mobilize the wax and dye further
into the substrate (yuck!)--even mechanical removal with a scalpel
can tend to push the junk further in.  Here's a trick that works
surprisingly well, if slowly, and avoids that problem.  Take a small
piece of dry transfer adhesive (such as 3M #924) and gently roll it
into a ball about the size of a mustard seed.  Hold the ball with
fine pointed tweezers and lightly pick at the surface of the crayon,
which will stick to the adhesive.  Work under magnification and
change the adhesive ball frequently as it gets soiled. You can
remove most (if not all) of the crayon this way, and so have less
residue to worry about if you need to resort to solvents at the end.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:76
                 Distributed: Wednesday, March 11, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-76-001
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