Teapot Repaired - Randall House Museum

August 19, 2014

I was asked to repair a broken teapot at Randall House museum after it had been broken in transit on a flight from Alberta.  A set of china had been carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a hard shell carry-on bag but, sadly, the teapot split into two large pieces.  The good news is that the break was relatively clean and given that they were larger pieces were easier to handle for repair.

I would recommend that china and other fragile artifacts be packaged in layers of foam and tightly secured in a hard shell case to avoid movement while being transported.   Foam can be carved to the shape of the artifact both on a bottom and top layer which can then be wrapped to prevent movement.

Firstly, a general statement - conservators are not restorers.  Restoring is a very specialized field requiring considerable training and experience.  For example, ceramics restoration would require a solid grounding in chemistry to understand glazing, painting, firing, and general analysis of the many materials used in creating a ceramic piece.  A restorer would fill cracks and do colour matching for the plain parts of the repair and the coloured parts.  Their work can usually produce results that would be able to render the break (fracture) invisible to the naked eye.  As you can imagine, this is a time consuming and expensive process and therefore is normally only undertaken where budget permits.

Secondly, conservators can do minor repairs such as putting this teapot back together without the crack filling and colour matching.  Conservation work is normally done with the caveat that the repairs are reversible and at least visible under a microscope.  These are ethical considerations in all conservation work.

Here is a photograph of the teapot prior to the repair work.

Randall House Teapot - before repair

Tools and materials used in this repair....exacto-knife, wooden skewer (sanded to a fine point), small soft brush, and HMG B72 adhesive.

Here are the steps I took in the repair of the teapot....

• photographs are taken before and after the work
• using a small, soft brush I carefully brushed along the break on both pieces over a sheet of paper to see if any smaller fragments came loose....none did....and to make sure no loose pieces would hamper fitting the larger pieces together,
• apply a minimum amount of conservation grade adhesive along the break,
• hold the pieces together for at least two minutes by hand in this case but larger clamps can be used in some cases.  The adhesive used is flexible for two minutes and then hardens allowing for minor adjustments.
• carefully remove excess adhesive with an exacto-knife all along the join, inside and out.  The knife is held at a very flat angle to just pick away without doing further damage.
• examine the join by moving the exacto-knife from side to side at various points along the break to determine the evenness of the join.  If necessary, the join can be reversed and redone if not satisfactory.  The adhesive used can be softened with a hairdryer at a low setting.

Here is a photograph of the teapot with the excess adhesive and a gap showing.  The break did have a very few of the gaps and was otherwise a very clean break.  The small and minimal bits of adhesive were carefully removed with the exacto-knife.

Randall House Teapot - before clean-up

With this repair done the teapot can be put in a display with proper lighting and placed in such a way that the break would be either not visible or essentially invisible.  The break and repair along with this description now become part of the history of the artifact.

Wooden Objects Pest Management Guidelines August, 2013

August, 2013

NOTE: These guidelines are specific to the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia CANADA and the result of a request from a local community museum.  Consult with a conservator in your area for treatment specific to your location.  Where chemical use is recommended follow MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) instructions for safe handling.

Pest infestation can be difficult to treat.  For example, Powder Post beetles can survive for years within the wood in larvae form and can only be adequately treated as they emerge from the wood.   However, Timbor is a relatively non-toxic chemical that will kill the beetles as they emerge.  It is suggested that the infested wood be sprayed regularly, perhaps yearly or if more evidence of beetle activity is observed.  The most critical step in controlling it is to carefully examine new objects as they come in and regularly inspect objects in your collection.  Wood products of all kinds are susceptible even if varnished or painted.   

The following are a general set of guidelines for dealing with this type of problem.  This information is a summary of this type of problem from available literature combined with information obtained from conservators and pest control officers I have contacted.  It is suggested that these steps should be followed in this order as objects come in. 

1) ISOLATE: all wooden objects that are brought in should be isolated from the rest of your collection until they are verified as free of infestation or have been treated.  Bag all the objects that are small enough to fit in bags.  Place larger objects in a tent or tarp big enough to sit it on and have it completely covered.  Infestation evidence will then be deposited in that space for observation.

2) EXAMINE: very carefully examine each object for these three things - holes, debris such as legs or other beetle body parts, frass (beetle excrement, a fine powder).  NOTE: this is not always followed by curators and other museum workers but is a critical step.

3) IDENTIFY: if you are NOT confidant that it is powder post beetle, bag the evidence and take it to the Agricultural Research Station in Kentville or to the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax for identification.

4) TREAT: smaller objects with infestation can be bagged and placed in a freezer for a minimum of two weeks.  This would normally kill off most infestations and the object would then be safe to move to your collection area.  Larger objects with infestation can be sprayed with Timbor and kept in a tent with pest strips such as Home Defence Max from Canadian Tire for at least two months.  The strips are placed around the tent OR can be cut up and placed in plastic containers with holes in the sides at the bottom edges so the beetles can crawl inside.  WARNING: these strips are toxic - USE GLOVES, open and handle outside as much as possible, DO NOT ALLOW STRIPS TO TOUCH THE OBJECT.  Placing them in plastic containers is a way to reduce contact with the chemicals in the strips.  These strips can be used in cabinets as well but follow the handling rules.

5) OBSERVE: set up a schedule to examine all your wooden objects at least every 6 months for evidence of infestation and if found, treat immediately.

REFERENCES
http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/ipm/manual/museum.cfm    general guidelines for museums – all pests.
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/caringfor-prendresoindes/articles/10agents/chap06_table2_lg_e.pdf     a list of most common pests and how to identify them.

Powder Post Beetles - July, 2013

July, 2013

A local museum contacted me recently about Powder Post beetle infestation that they had been dealing with for a few years.  They have several older wooden buildings with lots of small and large wooden objects housed within.  They have been spraying every year with a product called Tim-Bor.  The results have been encouraging with much less infestation over time but not yet completely solved.  These beetles bore into wood and deposit eggs.  When the eggs hatch the larvae eat their way out of the wood, mate in the spring and the cycle starts again.  They had asked me about the best way to deal with new objects coming into the museum and any existing objects that may be infested.

How do you know you have a beetle infestation?  Here are a few photographs of holes in wooden objects and a photograph of the dust which is a combination of sawdust and frass (insect excrement).   

Beetle holes - mallets

Beetle holes - pulley

Beetle dust - stairwell

Beetle dust - barrel base

There are several kinds of beetles that exhibit the same characteristics that can be treated the same way.  Spraying with a boron based product such as Tim-Bor, Borasol, or Ambush every year for several years will reduce the population and keep it under control.  Watch for beetle activity evidence such as the dust as shown in the photographs every year usually in summer or late spring.  Spray all the wooden areas (walls, stairwells, doors) and the larger objects.  These products are easily handled but require basic handling equipment to apply.  Refer to the safety data sheet for any of these products first before usage.

Any wooden objects of a small size can be treated by depositing them in a freezer for a minimum of two weeks.  Such things as wooden mallets, pulleys, wooden handled tools, and the like which can fit in the freezer are good candidates.  Wooden wagon wheels, carts, poles, and the like are usually too big so should be handled differently.  Maintaining a low temperature over two weeks will kill off any of the eggs, larvae, or beetles present in the wood.  There is some variance but typically, freezers maintain a temperature of around -18C.  Since beetles are active in the spring and lie dormant over the winter they are able to handle fluctuation in temperatures but not a sustained cold temperature.  Our winters in Nova Scotia have fluctuating temperatures between freezing and thawing so our beetles have adapted to that environment.  After two weeks you can put the objects back into the collection where appropriate.



Beetle holes - wheel

For larger objects such as the wagon wheel shown in this photograph I suggest spraying them every spring around middle of June for Nova Scotia which is their optimal time for reproduction.  They tend to be active, moving toward sunlight at that time.  Around this time you should see evidence of their activity - either bore holes or dust.  Sometimes the bore holes may not be visible until the spring because the object has been sanded and painted. 

All new wooden objects coming to museums should be carefully examined for evidence of pests.  If so, they should be bagged and isolated for a period of time to determine if they are actively infested.  Bagging will allow for any evidence of activity to be observed.  If they can be stored in a non-wooden environment for a time this would be best.  If they are small they can be put straight into a freezer for two weeks.  Larger objects with bore holes should be sprayed and examined in late spring or early summer for evidence of beetle activity.

Conservation Tip

With respect to preventive care - objects in collections should be examined as a minimum at least twice per year.  Wooden, textile, paper or leather objects for pests and mold; metal objects for tarnish and rust.  Identifying problems as soon as possible can prevent more serious infestation or damage that would be more difficult to treat if left undiscovered.  Careful examination will then determine what treatment is necessary, the costs in terms of materials and time, and then a plan to implement the treatment. 



Treating Mouldy Objects - Cleaning - October 18, 2012

October 18, 2012

Carefully cleaning the objects to remove any additional mould spores after hanging outside in the sun involves using a soap such as Orvus (similar to Woolite) mixed with distilled water to wash the objects and then rinsing at least twice with distilled water alone.  Washing and rinsing should remove the rest of the mould spores that could be lurking in the materials of the objects.  Damp wiping with a natural sponge dipped in the soapy solution and squeezed to remove most of the moisture will ensure the object is not overly wet.  Do the same when rinsing but use different sponges: a soap sponge and a rinse sponge.  I was very careful with the one object that had several different coloured materials on the inside by using a separate, smaller sponge for each colour.  Testing for colour fastness showed some removal of the colour when rubbed aggressively in non-obvious location with a Q-tip soaked in distilled water.  Being very gentle with the sponge and using different sponges for each colour showed no colour removal.

One of the hats treated has an inside silk insert that was cleaned and rinsed by dabbing with a damp cotton ball.  Since silk is very fragile a wiping motion may have been harmful to the material.  In this case the silk is sown onto a page from a newspaper so I avoided getting it wet.  Excess moisture has the potential to stain the paper.

The first photograph below shows the damp wiping and rinsing in progress.  You can see some of the white mould concentrations on the hat that were removed in this process.  The second photograph below shows the dabbing of the silk insert.

Damp wiping off mould spores with natural sponge

Dabbing silk insert with a cotton ball

Conservation Tips: 1) It is best to immediately hang up the objects again in the sun to dry them out as soon as possible.  Since moisture can reactivate dormant mould spores it is best to thoroughly dry them out right away.  2) Soaps such as Orvus are used because they are more pure than regular soap meaning they are less likely to react negatively with the materials you are washing.  3) Test for colour fastness before washing.  4) In this case (hats) damp wipe instead of immersing them fully in the soapy solution.  There are some cases where a full immersion is warranted.  5) Use natural sponges because they are less likely to have impurities that might affect the materials you are washing.  6) Always wear gloves and a mask plus clean all the tools, containers, and brushes with bleach right after you are done.   The gloves and sponges were thrown away.

Treating Mouldy Objects - Planning - October 17, 2012

October 17, 2012

Several objects stored in the Kings County Museum started showing evidence of mould growth.  This was discovered by the curator and immediately dealt with.  The curator inspects objects at least twice every year watching for possible mould growth in order to catch it and deal with it before it spreads.  This is an ongoing issue in many museums and requires extra diligence.  All objects must be quarantined when they are donated to the museum for a period of time usually one or two months.  They are examined regularly and only enter the permanent collection when they show no evidence of mould or insects.  In Nova Scotia (as in United Kingdom) where the average annual relative humidity (RH) is over 80% mould growth can happen at any time.  General collections of objects are best stored at 65% RH.

I put together a list of steps to take in terms of cleaning up this mould outbreak.  The steps are based on a combination of advice from the Senior Conservator at Nova Scotia Museum, internet research, and my studies at the university.  The objects were bagged in plastic and stored in a freezer then removed and kept in room temperature still bagged for at least 24 hours beforehand.  The following steps were discussed and approved by the curator before proceeding:

1. hang up the objects on a line outside in direct sunlight preferably with a bit of wind for 6 to 8 hours - make sure that they are not hung up near intakes for air conditioning or open windows into the building
2. brush off the objects with a soft, small paint brush first one direction and then the other - repeat this step after 2 or 3 hours - when done, brush must be soaked in bleach and water solution for at least 20 minutes, rinsed and dried OR thrown away
3. mix Orvus soap (discussed in previous post) with distilled water in a small bowl using only one teaspoon or less of soap, thoroughly mix it
4. using a natural sponge lightly damp wipe the object with the Orvus solution first one direction and then the other - sponge must be soaked in bleach and water solution for at least 20 minutes and dried when done OR thrown away
5. using a natural sponge lightly damp wipe the object with distilled water first one direction and then the other
6. repeat above step
7. hang up the damp objects on a line outside in the sun for several hours until thoroughly dry (again, windy would be best

Note: latex gloves and a face mask were used for all steps where mould spores may be present. 

The objects in question were a collection of military hats primarily from World War II but of particular interest is one from the Boer War which is over 100 years old.  Below is a photograph of all of the objects.  Later photographs will show them in more detail.