Acrylic adhesives

Priscilla Anderson <priscilla_anderson [at] harvard__edu> writes

>We are experimenting with Lascaux acrylic adhesives (498 HV in
>particular) for use in book conservation, and want to know how
>conservators in any fields use (or don't use) this class of
>adhesives.

At the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA),
we use Lascaux 498HV on select leather repairs. In particular,
technicians have been using the Lascaux 498HV for use in repairing
the deteriorated leathers on a collection of 100+ biological
specimen boxes by Titian Peale, following the Harvard method of
solvent-reactivated Lascaux-coated Japanese papers. The boxes,
dating from the mid-nineteenth century, look like books bound in
half leather and marbled paper with a glazed specimen box
"textblock" that opens from both the front board and the back board.

The leather is pre-treated with Klucel G and/or consolidated with
CCAHA's SC6000 "cocktail." Acrylic-toned Japanese papers are
prepared, then torn to shape and coated with Lascaux 498HV and
dried. The mends are then reactivated with Lascaux mix or ethanol
and placed on the object. The repair is rubbed with a bone folder
through polyester webbing and dried finally, if necessary, with a
hair dryer. The repair is consolidated and blended in to the object
with the SC6000 cocktail.

In general, the technicians have not encountered any problems--they
are happy with the workability, quick drying time, and flexibility
of the Lascaux 498HV. The flexibility and strength demands of the
Peale boxes particularly called for flexible, strong, and thin
mends.

Sarah E. Reidell
Mellon Advanced Intern
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
264 South 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-545-0613
Fax: 215-735-9313


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:75
                  Distributed: Thursday, May 29, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-75-004
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