Caring for Cultural Material 1

Caring for Cultural Material 2

Damage and Decay

Managing Collections

Managing People

Handling, Transportation, Storage and Display

Glossary

Index

reCollections homereCollections home spacer Caring for Cultural Collections 2
Image montage with navigation elementsHome pageIndexGlossaryHome pageVolume oneVolume twoVolume threeVolume fourVolume fiveVolume six
Printer Print this volume (PDF)
Print this chapter (PDF)
Caring for Cultural Material 2
In this volume:
– Textiles
– Leather
arrow Wood
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Material
– Metals
– Outdoor Collections
– Acknowledgments
Wood
In this chapter:
– Objectives
– Introduction
– An introduction to the anatomy and chemistry of wood
– What are the most common causes and types of damage?
– Common causes of damage
– The do’s and don’ts of handling wooden objects
arrow Some basic do’s and don’ts of repair and cleaning
– Ideal conditions for storing and displaying wooden objects
– General storage and display guidelines
– Coating wooden objects
– Summary of conditions for storage and display
– Wooden objects in Australia’s climatic zones
  MORE ABOUT WOOD
– Additional notes on fungal attack of wood
– For further reading
– Self-evaluation quiz
– Answers to self-evaluation quiz

 

Search reCollections

spacer

Wood

Some basic do's and don'ts of repair and cleaning

Repair small pieces which have broken off or become detached, or store the pieces with the object until a conservator can carry out the repairs. When repairing wooden objects, use only an adhesive which can be removed easily in the future, such as:

  • a traditional animal glue which is applied warm; or,

  • a conservation-quality, white glue such as Rhoplex AC-33.

White or yellow woodworking adhesives available in hardware stores are not ideal; but they are preferable to epoxy adhesives like Araldite or the superglues because it is virtually impossible to remove these without damaging the underlying wood.

Be aware that the finishes on wood can be affected by the adhesive—so use as little glue as possible near the edges of the break.

If you are unsure about what glue to use, or if the damage is extensive, contact a conservator for help and advice.

Use soft, cotton cloths to gently dust varnished furniture and wooden objects. For wooden objects with more delicate surfaces, for example, those painted or decorated with inlay, gently brush surfaces with a Japanese Hake brush. If the surfaces are flaking or unstable, do not brush them at all.

CAUTION:

Do not use feather dusters because the feathers often get caught in cracks and crevices and can cause the wood to splinter.

 

 

 

spacer

blueline