Newbs Investigation through Experimentation regarding Conservation

[makeminemego]

Awesome picture of Steve French on the back of the Lone Ranger book.

 

Tremendous thread, btw. Looking forward to the next installment very much.

[thehumantorch]

Great thread thanks. Please keep experimenting and sharing with us.

[427Impaler]

Project #2: Lone Ranger gets face lift and spinal work

 

Object: Clean grease pen off cover, dry clean, realign spine without disassembly. "Blue" label makeover

 

Tools used: Mars eraser, art gum eraser, Seal 150 press.

 

Time required: 45 minutes

 

Here is a quick experiment to see how much improvement can be made without invoking the dreaded "purple label". I wanted to see how difficult removing grease pen was (looks like this was a remaindered comic) and how much a simple dry clean would help, then the difficult spine realignment without taking the book apart.

 

So here is a reminder of how horrible this lump is:

 

 

First, I took a run at the grease pen with the Mars erased and the art gum:

 

 

Working carefully The marker came up fairly easily, using care not to scrub any ink off the page. As the mark was probably put there over 60 years ago, the parts of the cover underneath were protected from the environment and are brighter than the surrounding areas.

 

 

First line gone

 

 

After both lines were removed, I shredded some eraser with a fine cheese grater to clean the balance of the cover. The small bits of eraser were gently brushed around the cover to pick up any dirt and grime.

 

 

Cleaned result:

 

 

Not a beauty by any stretch, but you can only put so much lipstick on a pig...

 

 

The tough part was next, realigning the spine. The nice part is that with the spine shift to the front, all the bad spine damage will move to the back of the book when repaired. Tricky part is it takes three hands to do the job which made taking pictures of the process impossible, what I did was align the right side of the cover flush with the back side of the cover, then very gently flatten the spine in "the happy alligator":

 

 

Using very light pressure and short durations in the press I was gradually able to get the spine into a more normal location. I am a very cautious presser and use as little heat and pressure as possible, last thing I want is a knife-edge spine that does not look natural. Of course there is still a major spine split and lots of damage on the rear of the book, but that will be for another installment

 

Here is how it looked post pressing:

 

 

Side by side:

 

 

Overall for a mini experiment I think it went well, the book did not magically jump several grades but that is no surprise. The cleaning had a nice improvement, the pictures don't really show the scope of how much nicer the surface of the book really is.

 

Next is an experiment in spine repair and an attempt to get the really yellowed and checked sizing off the cover. I will also do a little experiment with resizing as well.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

[Vorpal]

Looks great! I'm impressed at how well the grease pen came off with just an eraser. I have two questions:

 

1. When you say that "the grated eraser bits were gently brushed around the cover," do you do that with your hands? I assume that you get the bits under your hand to apply a gentle pressure, right?

 

2. Where do you get a book press like that?

[427Impaler]

Correct with the eraser bits. Gentle rubbing with the hands and some sweeping with a flat brush, gloves are a must. The bits pick up a lot more than I expected, and despite the yellowed sizing the gloss improved nicely.

 

The press was a Craigslist find. I have been fooling around with it on beaters for a while, just starting to get my footing with it. I have a lot of respect for people who press for a living, so many variables to learn for the different ages of books, cover thickness, problems to fix, etc. At this point I err on the side of caution and stay super conservative.

[427Impaler]

Been busy with the new family addition and work, but back with a new installment of "hack & slash" conservation.

 

For this installment I have decided to go back to the first book I worked on and fix some of the mistakes I feel that I made and try a couple of improved procedures. The biggest mistake I feel that I made was trying to just patch the weak areas on the spine, this time I will try a full spine reinforcement. I will also try a few new things as well.

 

Here is what I started with in the beginning:

 

 

A very ratty Four Color #148 Canadian Edition. The spine had serious wear as did the leading edge of the cover. My minimalistic attempt at patching the spine was "successful" but the spine was too weak and ended up flat after a no heat pressing.

 

I have also been doing research into deacidification by scouring University research papers and discovered some valuable info;

1. A deacidifcation bath is most effective at 99 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Calcium Hydroxide is the most effective buffer to add to the solution.

3. Deacidification not only removes acidity from the paper and restores the PH of the paper, it also imparts PH buffer material into the paper protecting from future degradation. So although a washed book gets a PLOD it should really be called a PLOL; Purple Label Of LIFE

 

First order of business is to see how easily the old resto comes off of the book. So after disassembly the cover went directly into a 99 degree bath of Calcium Hydroxide solution:

 

 

Almost immediately the Jap paper released from the book, and was easily lifted off with a soft brush:

 

 

 

 

After all the resto was removed the cover was blotted and weighted to dry, seizing the moment I made the decision to wash the whole book and in went interior page after interior page:

 

 

Extreme care is required with the interior pages, they are very flimsy coming out of the bath. All the ink stayed were it should and a LOT of the yellowing came out of the pages upon drying:

 

 

At this point I decided to venture into unknown territory. With my reading of deacidification I became aware that the process usually removed the "Sizing" from the object, which is a good thing as the Sizing on most paper has rosin content which is not good for longevity of the paper. Once the cover was near dry, I applied a "re-sizing" to it. I used a Methyl Cellulose wash which I spread with a fan brush:

 

 

 

Once the paper was saturated, it was blotted completely then pressed (cold) between Mylar sheets. I did not put a thick coating on at this time, just enough to impregnate the paper itself. After the infilling and reinforcement it will get a second thicker coating. Hard to tell from the photo but it had a measureable difference in feel and appearance in hand:

 

 

Now that the pages are nice and flat the next installment will be rebuilding the spine, some infilling, tear seals and perhaps some color touch!

 

 

 

 

[Vorpal]

Great update! I've been waiting for the next installment. I'm glad to see you expanding into different techniques; it makes it very interesting for us. Can't wait to see how this one ends up!

[427Impaler]

Next installment: Mending the cover

 

I patched the ripped areas of the spine in my first attempt, this time I am going to do a full spine reinforcement. To do this I will be using Methyl Cellulose as a "glue" and using a combination of Mulberry paper and Tengu-jo. The Mulberry is a medium weight Japanese paper and is good for structural repairs and the Tengu-Jo is a very lightweight yet strong paper that is great for tear seals and blending the structural area.

 

 

First a fill for the missing spine is constructed out of color appropriate paper:

 

 

To mend and reinforse the spine I made two patches out of the mulberry, a thin strip and a wider one to cover it with. I then added a very wide piece of the Tengu-jo to blend the area. The edges are cut with a water pen to give a feathery edge to blend:

 

 

Once the three layers are wetted down with the Methyl, things actually look quite horrible. It is at this point the consideration of tossing the whole project into the waste bin occurs:

 

 

I resist the urge to never mention this journal again and deny its existence. I cover the mended area with a Mylar sheet and weight it down with hopes some kind of magic will happen:

 

 

I then mended the leading edge of the cover in a similar fashion and flatten that down as well. Fast forward 24 hours and I approach the project with a mix of fear and pessimism, only to find the comic gods have smiled on me and left this as a present:

 

 

The layers of mulberry are highly visible but the final layer of Tengu is transparent and to the feel the page has a relatively smooth texture. No pressing has been done yet and we will see if we can make this repair less visible in the next installment. This final picture is the front side of the spine, after the inner repair dried I put a layer of Tengu on the front side of the cover to smooth out the heavily worn areas and blend the infill. You can just barely see the Tengu and to the touch the spine is now smooth.

 

 

See you next time!

 

 

[Vorpal]

Really cool! Looks like it turned out quite nicely, and that spine now has plenty of structural reinforcement. Good job

[Rune]

Looks great

 

In 20 years, maybe I can send you my then 60-year-old wife and have 40 years removed

[427Impaler]

Looks great

 

In 20 years, maybe I can send you my then 60-year-old wife and have 40 years removed

 

If only it was that easy............

[Vorpal]

Where are you getting your japan papers? Especially the lightweight Tengu-Jo you used? I'd like to try my hand at this

[427Impaler]

I found them online, try googling "the Japanese paper place", easy to deal with and 50 dollars yielded a lifetime supply!

[Vorpal]

I found them online, try googling "the Japanese paper place", easy to deal with and 50 dollars yielded a lifetime supply!

 

Thanks! I had come across them, but noticed that their website only shows dyed tengujo. Did you just choose the beige, or is there an "off-list" undyed version? Also, yikes! Mimimum US order is US$150.

 

EDIT: I found a place here in the US that has tengujo and other items like methyl cellulose and wheat starch, and no minimum order size (but does have minimum shipping charge of $9):

 

Link to Bookmakers Inc. online catalog

 

Tengujo (Tosa)

 

Handmade 100% kozo fibers, sun bleached, and cooked in soda ash. This paper is a very smooth, extremely light-weight paper. The long silky fibers and formation give this lightweight paper an almost woven look. This us used extensively in conservation where application needs to be as transparent as possible. acid free; natural color; 11 gms.

 

PJ-TOSATG 25" x 30" $12.50

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

...Next is the tedious process of filling in all the loss areas and strengthening the weak areas. Common practice is to leafcast, which I think is a great idea, but not having a $15,000.00 leafcaster handy I went with the old fashioned Japanese paper repair...

 

Great journal!

 

I'm enjoying watching what you are doing.

 

Have you considered experimenting with spot leaf casting? Or maybe better yet, a home-made leaf caster designed specifically for the dimensions of a comic book? Just food for thought.

[427Impaler]

...Next is the tedious process of filling in all the loss areas and strengthening the weak areas. Common practice is to leafcast, which I think is a great idea, but not having a $15,000.00 leafcaster handy I went with the old fashioned Japanese paper repair...

 

Great journal!

 

I'm enjoying watching what you are doing.

 

Have you considered experimenting with spot leaf casting? Or maybe better yet, a home-made leaf caster designed specifically for the dimensions of a comic book? Just food for thought.

 

I have spotted a blueprint for constructing a small leafcaster using a wet/dry vac and some assorted hardware. looked like an interesting project, I have been considering it for quite a while. I will likely give hand casting a shot first, just to get a feel for the process.

 

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

...Next is the tedious process of filling in all the loss areas and strengthening the weak areas. Common practice is to leafcast, which I think is a great idea, but not having a $15,000.00 leafcaster handy I went with the old fashioned Japanese paper repair...

 

Great journal!

 

I'm enjoying watching what you are doing.

 

Have you considered experimenting with spot leaf casting? Or maybe better yet, a home-made leaf caster designed specifically for the dimensions of a comic book? Just food for thought.

 

I have spotted a blueprint for constructing a small leafcaster using a wet/dry vac and some assorted hardware. looked like an interesting project, I have been considering it for quite a while. I will likely give hand casting a shot first, just to get a feel for the process.

 

 

Cool. I think you'd probably have a blast with it. There are a lot of videos out now that very clearly show flow rates, so you wouldn't have to start completely at ground zero.

 

And it could open up a whole new path to collecting; searching for rescue comics, and having a whole collection of books that in better shape might be out of financial reach for most.

[427Impaler]

That is kind of the idea I have. Take the FC 148 I started with, no where near any kind of collectible condition yet still a cool book. Also not in a reader condition as just opening the book was causing more damage with the weak pages and spine. With a little work the book is now a solid reader that should be around for a very long time, it looks great in a Mylar and feels solid in hand. Not bad for a book that was on its way to the recycling.

 

Thanks for the positive feedback, it is a lot of fun trying this stuff out. I'll do a final update on the FC 148 soon, turned out much better than I expected!

[W16227]

...Next is the tedious process of filling in all the loss areas and strengthening the weak areas. Common practice is to leafcast, which I think is a great idea, but not having a $15,000.00 leafcaster handy I went with the old fashioned Japanese paper repair...

 

Great journal!

 

I'm enjoying watching what you are doing.

 

Have you considered experimenting with spot leaf casting? Or maybe better yet, a home-made leaf caster designed specifically for the dimensions of a comic book? Just food for thought.

 

I have spotted a blueprint for constructing a small leafcaster using a wet/dry vac and some assorted hardware. looked like an interesting project, I have been considering it for quite a while. I will likely give hand casting a shot first, just to get a feel for the process.

 

 

I would look at aquarium pumps - I know that wet/dry vacs can handle fluids (not just a fancy name) - but you can set plumbing right into the aquarium pumps - and many are designed to sit in the reservoir tank.

 

 

I have seen several of the leafcasting videos - looks like the primary pump purpose is to fill the working tank - you set this with the pump - then shut off with a valve (and turn the pump of, ) - use the same valve to drain.

 

If you need agitation in the working tank - you can then add in a smaller pump called a power head. Many sizes available - used to create simple flow in a tank.

 

Another element that may be needed (though unknown how much this would really affect things) - ro/di filter? - another tool from the fish world (especially for saltwater tanks) - this removes pretty much every contaminant from a water line. Essentially makes distilled water. Then - whatever you add back into the tanks/pulp slurry is the only additional =element/chemical in there.

 

Though the experts may chime in and say tap water works fine , .... for this one - best to first find a friend with saltwater fish tanks as they may be able to get you the purified water to use as a test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[427Impaler]

...Next is the tedious process of filling in all the loss areas and strengthening the weak areas. Common practice is to leafcast, which I think is a great idea, but not having a $15,000.00 leafcaster handy I went with the old fashioned Japanese paper repair...

 

Great journal!

 

I'm enjoying watching what you are doing.

 

Have you considered experimenting with spot leaf casting? Or maybe better yet, a home-made leaf caster designed specifically for the dimensions of a comic book? Just food for thought.

 

I have spotted a blueprint for constructing a small leafcaster using a wet/dry vac and some assorted hardware. looked like an interesting project, I have been considering it for quite a while. I will likely give hand casting a shot first, just to get a feel for the process.

 

 

I would look at aquarium pumps - I know that wet/dry vacs can handle fluids (not just a fancy name) - but you can set plumbing right into the aquarium pumps - and many are designed to sit in the reservoir tank.

 

 

I have seen several of the leafcasting videos - looks like the primary pump purpose is to fill the working tank - you set this with the pump - then shut off with a valve (and turn the pump of, ) - use the same valve to drain.

 

If you need agitation in the working tank - you can then add in a smaller pump called a power head. Many sizes available - used to create simple flow in a tank.

 

Another element that may be needed (though unknown how much this would really affect things) - ro/di filter? - another tool from the fish world (especially for saltwater tanks) - this removes pretty much every contaminant from a water line. Essentially makes distilled water. Then - whatever you add back into the tanks/pulp slurry is the only additional =element/chemical in there.

 

Though the experts may chime in and say tap water works fine , .... for this one - best to first find a friend with saltwater fish tanks as they may be able to get you the purified water to use as a test.

 

That's great info! I had three stylin' aquariums going a couple of years ago, and I just recently sold off everything for pennies on the dollar a few months back