Adhesive for glass

Occasionally we are faced with important items of glassware having
cracks that do not result in actual breakage of the object. We would
like a good approach to wicking an adhesive into the cracks and
having it cure slowly (to allow the wicking process time to
complete). I am not enthusiastic about the use of epoxy because of
the risk of yellowing.

Loctite Corporation makes a windshield repair material called
"Bullseye" which wicks into cracks and is cured by exposure to
sunlight; I do not believe this is adequately strong and wonder if
there is a better choice? One has to bear in mind that this sort of
procedure is more-or-less irreversible, so the adhesive chosen
should be strong and color stable, and should have a refractive
index close to that of glass for best long-term appearance.

Robert K. MacDowell
Chief Conservator

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:13
                 Distributed: Wednesday, July 29, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-13-006
                                  ***