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PAPER REPAIRS
Cleaning Paper
Surface cleaning removes surface dirt; it will not remove embedded stains such as greasy finger prints. Various grades of sponges, vinyl erasers, eraser crumbs, cloths and
cleaning pads are used. It must be done carefully in order not to damage the paper and is therefore quite time consuming.
Clean the surface with a soft brush. Sometimes a cleaning cloth, such as Dust Bunny, works well for the initial wiping. If more cleaning is needed, use cleaning sponges,
erasers, or pads. As you work, make sure no crumbs get between the document and the work surface beneath it. When close to the edges, rub toward and off the edge to prevent tearing. If using the pads,
rub lightly in a circular motion. The pads produce a much greater quantity of crumbs than the sponges; careful brushing after cleaning is essential to make sure no residue is left in folds of documents,
gutters of books and so on. Some of this material becomes airborne during the cleaning process and may cause discomfort or allergic reactions to some workers.
Rubber cleaning sponges without additives, made by Gonzo, are sold by hardware and housewares stores and by the conservation catalogs. The plain, natural color sponges are
sold in stores as all-purpose lampshade and wallpaper cleaners and are very useful for cleaning book pages, documents and maps. They are excellent for soot removal. Cut the sponge into two or three
pieces. As each erasing surface gets dirty, cut it away with large scissors or a serrated knife. The sponges can be washed but take several days to dry thoroughly and then they don't work as well as when
new.
Erasers are useful for removing spots. As with the sponges, rub in one direction only, not back and forth: this can cause wrinkles and tears. Rub toward and off the edges to
prevent tears. When cleaning is completed, inspect the work and brush all eraser residue from the pages and from the gutter of the book.
Brittle paper: Cleanwith a soft brush only; do not use the other methods.
For more detailed instructions, see Greenfield, Books, their care and repair p. 62, Kyle, Library Preservation Manual, p. 51, or NEDCC technical
leaflet "Surface Cleaning of Paper"
REPAIRING TEARS
The best, most long-lasting paper repairs are made with Japanese tissue and wheat paste or methyl-cellulose. Do not use Filmoplast or similar tapes on archival materials or
rare/research books because these tapes are not easily removable, especially after a few years. Filmoplast is appropriate for circulating materials because it does not yellow and adhesive does not ooze
out from the edges even after many years.
You should have an assortment of different Japanese papers of suitable weights and shades. Some are thicker and more opaque than others, some are whiter than others. Misu and
Usuminogami are good-all purpose papers. They are available from Hiromi Paper International (address in Supplier's List at end). These and similar papers can also be purchased from other conservation
suppliers listed.
Tearing Japanese paper
Repairs will blend better into the torn page if you tear the strips of Japanese tissue instead of cutting them. Furthermore, the long fibers give the repair a soft edge that
will not cut weak or brittle paper. You will need a ruler and a water pen. A colorless felt pen soaked in water is ideal. You may need to do this several times. A small brush or a ruling pen dipped in
water will also work.
Determine the width of repair strip needed and place a ruler on the Japanese paper, parallel to the grain. With the water pen, draw a line along the length of the ruler and
gently tear the strip away.
You can also "needle-tear" the Japanese paper strips. Instead of using the water pen, score the paper lightly with a needle or an awl, along the ruler, and then tear
the strip away. The fibers will be shorter. But this is a faster method than water-tearing, and is quite satisfactory for many applications.
Mending edge tears
The edges of a tear may be feathered and overlapping, exposing inner layers of the paper. If the overlapping edges are wide enough, the tear can often be
repaired by pasting the two edges together.
Place a piece of polyester web (Remay or Hollitex) under the tear, and a piece of blotter under the polyester. Align the edges of the
tear and match the print or image carefully. Put a small weight on each side of the tear. Gently separate the tear and apply a thin coat of paste to each edge of the tear. Set the edges back together,
cover with polyester web and blotter and rub down.
Repair long, irregularly shaped tears in segments, allowing each repaired section to dry before proceeding to the next. If the
ovelapping surfaces are wide, this may be sufficient; otherwise, consolidate the repair with Japanese tissue
Mending a simple edge tear with Japanese paper
Choose a piece of Japanese tissue of adequate weight and tear it to size. Apply a light coat of paste or methyl cellulose. If you apply
paste to the mending strips on a blotter, some of the moisture will be absorbed by the blotter. Pick up the pasted strip with a microspatula and place it over the tear. Allow approx.1/4" to extend
beyond the edge of the paper. (It will be cut off when the repair is dry.)
Place a piece of polyester over the repair, then a piece of blotter on top. Rub gently to absorb excess moisture and paste. Change the
blotters, and place a small weight on top. Let dry under weight.When dry, cut the excess off.
If the tear is curved, you can shape the strip of Japanese tissue. Put a scrap of Mylar over the tear, position the tissue on the Mylar
and use a water pen to draw an outline a little bigger than the tear. (Working on a light box makes it easier to see the shape of the
tear). Tear off a repair strip along the moistened outline. Proceed as above for pasting the strip and drying the repair.
Repair long tears in sections, using short strips placed end to end. This reduces pulling and buckling as the repair dries.
Mending tears in books
When mending a tear in a book, provide support to the book so that the pages lie flat without any strain on the binding. You may
need to prop the book open with weights or place another book of suitable thickness under the open board.
Before repairing a folding map that extends out, build up the surface under it to match the thickness of the book. Use boards, other books, cardboard, etc.
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