Silicon caulk

Alan J. Hawk <hawk [at] afip__osd__mil> writes

>I am in the process of deinstalling exhibits that were built in
>circa 1968. Some of the artifacts were mounted on plexiglass shelves
>with clear silicon caulk.  These are stuck fast and are tight enough
>to prevent a razor blade from slicing through the caulk.  Does
>anyone have any good suggestions about the least damaging method
>separating of artifacts from their mounts or is this something best
>tried by a professional?

In stained glass conservation, we sometimes use Amtex CCR Silicone
Remover to dissolve sealant off the glass.  It's from Amtex Chemical
Co., 890 Fern Hill Rd., West Chester, PA  19380.  I personally have
never used it, so I don't know anything about how it reacts to other
materials.

Julie L. Sloan
Stained Glass Consultant
54 Cherry St.
North Adams, MA  01247
413-663-5512
Fax: 413-663-7167


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:34
               Distributed: Wednesday, December 20, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-34-003
                                  ***