Canvas covered rubber diving suit

I am preparing a 40 to 50 year old 12 bolt ventilated diving suit
for exhibit later this year.  As I gather is fairly standard, the
suit is rubber sandwiched between cotton twill canvas, with a copper
helmet which bolts through a rubber yoke at neck to form a
watertight seal. The rubber is still flexible and showing no serious
damage or deterioration yet.  The main problem is the wear, tearing
and staining of the canvas cover, which has torn along seams,
frayed, and peeled back, with associated losses and distortions
along tears.  I'd like to clean the canvas as well as I can,
realign the flaps, and reattach them.

I have done some tests and literature searches and have some ideas,
but thought I'd throw this out to see what anyone else might have
tried or observed.  Kind of a fun job.

Rose Smart
Conservator
The Rooms Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:60
                    Distributed: Friday, May 9, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-60-016
                                  ***