Instructables, Repair on Iron Gall Ink with Remoistenable Tissue

INSTRUCTABLES

Repair on Iron Gall Ink with Remoistenable Tissue mending test: ; contact 2x blotting papers 10 x 10 cm; practice-in-conservation.com> or > polyester film 15 x 15 cm, 100 µm > remoistenable tissue (see Instructables: (Melinex, Hostaphan) Remoistenable Tissue. In: JPC, Vol 12 > non sticking polyester: Bondina or Tools [2011], No 1, p 35); TST paper, 5 x 2,5 cm (or your taste > sharp knife; > 37 cl water; in size); > scissors; > kitchen cloth cut to 10 x 10 cm (kit- > blotting paper 5 x 2,5 cm (or your > ruler; chen cloth, éponge végétal - pure taste in size); > tweezers; cellulose, available at your local > bathophenatroline indicator paper > teflon or bone folder; supermarket or drugstore); for iron(II) ions–Dutch Fe-migration > if preferred a light table or light sheet

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Tools and materials: The circle is the indi- Score and cut the tissue with a knife into Moisten the sponge and the filter paper cator paper. small strips. The width of the strip is your with 37 cl water. choice. Do not cut through the polyester film.

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It takes about 10 minutes for the water Pull up a strip with tweezers. Cut the strip to the desired length. to disperse evenly in the blotter system.

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The strip is wetted by placing it, gelatine The Dutch Fe-migration mending test is In this detail no bleeding of ink is visible down, on the blotter. Immediately take it used to establish if the correct amount of under the tissue repair. So no ink and thus away (the total time of applying moisture moisture is transferred to the original. Fig 8 iron(II) ions are displaced! NOTE: This pro- to the tissue is maybe 1 second). The strip and 9 demonstrate that the proposed way cedure is necessary to control the correct should be limp and flat. of mending damages in ink corroded paper, amount of moisture in your tissue repair. prevents bleeding of the ink and transfer After some time of repairing it is advised of iron(II) ions. The pink colour around to check the proper moisture again using the ink lines on the indicator paper (Fig 8) the the indicator paper method. show that iron is displaced by the water.

Journal of PaperConservation Vol. 12 (2011), No. 2 37 INSTRUCTABLES

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This loss in the document needs mending. With tweezers and a teflon folder the tissue Flatten the tissue with the teflon folder over The document is directly placed on a light- is placed in the desired spot. the bondina (or TST). Then apply a piece of sheet. It is of course possible to cut a shape blotting paper with slight pressure for 20 in the remoistenable tissue using the light- seconds and remove the blotting paper. sheet instead of pre-cutting strips of the No further action is necessary. Repeat the remoistenable tissue. repair in the same spot on the verso side.

Authors [email protected]; Eliza Jacobi, > If you have a clever, pragmatic idea Bas van Velzen, Oude Looiersstraat Laurierstraat 97b, 1016 PK Amster- that you want to share with our read- 65-67, 1016 VH Amsterdam, The dam, The Netherlands, Tel +31- ers, please contact: Bas van Velzen Netherlands, Tel +31-62-6078150, 610271387, [email protected]