Sheepskin diploma

Mary Ellen Starmer <starmer [at] utk__edu> writes

>I got a call from someone with a 75-year-old sheepskin diploma that
>has shrunk in the frame.  Is there anything an amateur can do at
>home to help remedy that problem?

Although I usually work with parchment made of cow skin, I believe
this will work for any skin.

Place the Sheepskin diploma while still in its frame in a cool damp
room, and allow the skin to relax in the humidity slowly reduce the
humidity so that parchment does not buckle again.

How to do this at home:

    Place the Sheepskin diploma, still in frame, in the bathroom
    turn on an ultrasonic humidifier and shut the door. After an
    hour or so open the door turn off the humidifier and allow the
    humidity to leave the room, the Sheepskin diploma will dry
    slowly.

    The parchment will buckle again if exposed to heat this
    Sheepskin diploma was probably in an attic exposed to heat
    parchment is best kept at 60 degrees F. 40% humidity

Benjamin Cohen
Certified and Registered Sofer StaM/Scribe/Baal Mageah, rabbi,
artist


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:15
               Distributed: Wednesday, September 15, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-18-15-004
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