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Maine State Archives
Guidelines for Restoration and Preservation of Documentary Papers, Maps, Books Part 2
Cleaning Leather Bookbindings
On porous or light-colored leather, water solutions will create dark stains and, with all leathers, can cause hardening of the material. If a binding is dirty, surface grime can be removed with a soft lintless cloth slightly dampened with water, potassium lactate or saddle soap. One should first try to clean an inconspicuous spot to be certain darkening will not occur; and, if saddle soap is used, all soap residue must be removed, using clean soft rags.Treatment With Neat's-Foot Oil and Lanolin
A mixture of 60% neats-foot oil and 40% anhydrous lanolin by volume is one of the safest dressings for most leather bindings. The mixture can be made by melting the lanolin in a double boiler and mixing in the proper amount of neat's-foot oil. The lanolin is available from drug stores; and the neat's-foot oil, from hardware stores, saddlery shops and some drug stores. Be sure to buy pure neat's-foot oil, rather than a mixture, if preparing your own dressing; to buy a prepared dressing, consult SOURCES in the addendum. Apply the dressing with a pad of cheesecloth or cotton using a patting motion; brushes are not satisfactory, as one has little control over the amount of dressing being applied. In patting on the dressing, one must use great care to avoid staining any paper or cloth parts of the cover or any pages of the text. Several thin coats, applied carefully and thoroughly to small areas at a time, are preferable to one heavy coat. Excessive dressing may bleed through the spine, staining the text and embrittling the pages as the oil oxidizes; a piece of waxed paper inserted between the covers and the text will reduce this as a possibility. Before use, the treated books should allowed to absorb the dressing for a period of 12 to 24 hours. The treatment should be repeated every two to five years, depending upon storage conditions; when the leather begins to feel dried out and somewhat brittle, another treatment is necessary. Once leather has reached a powdery consistency, the treatment is not effective. Polyvinyl acetate emulsions, lacquers and varnishes should never be used on leather bindings; they may cause bindings to stick together. The above are general suggestions which should not be applied indiscriminately to all leather-bound books. If dealing with very valuable books, one should consult a professional conservator.Repairs
Repairs to valuable papers are performed to avoid further damage to the material. Pressure sensitive tapes such as the cellophane "Scotch" tape and "Magic Mending" tape are not appropriate for repairs as both will cause stains and are difficult to remove without damage to the document. Rubber cements will also cause stains; and, as they dry out, will fail. Polyvinyl acetate emulsions (PVA), such as "Elmer's Glue-All" become impossible to remove without damage to the paper; these emulsions are often acidic and will discolor and deteriorate the paper. Gummed paper tapes should be avoided as the tape is often acidic causing discoloration of the document. Most commercially available pastes are acidic, due to the addition of alum; these will become brittle and discolored and will cause discoloration and deterioration of the paper to which they are applied. As the pastes are water-based, they may cause cockling of the paper and may cause certain inks and colors to run. To check for water solubility of inks, moisten a cotton tipped applicator with distilled water and carefully touch the different inks or colors (one at a time), examining the cotton for any color transfer and spot checking for running. If none is exhibited, a paste may be safely used. The best adhesive is a rice paste which can be removed with water; that is, the repairs are reversible.Using Rice Paste and Tissue to Repair Tears
Using thin tissue strips with this paste provides repairs which are practically invisible with most papers. Although the various Japanese tissues may be used, a less expensive alternative is Troya 6-1/2 lb. lens tissue which is available in 24" by 36" sheets from TALAS; not as strong as the Japanese tissues, it does an adequate job for most purposes. Determine the direction of the fibers by tears parallel to the edges of the tissue; tears will occur most easily and be straightest in the direction of the fibers. For most repairs, the fiber direction should be across the tissue, giving the repair maximum strength. The width of the repair strip will depend on the size of the repair; however, a piece 1/2" wide or less should be adequate for most situations. To provide maximum concealment, the strips should be torn rather than cut with scissors. Using a small artist's brush wetted with water, draw a line where the tear is to be made; the water weakens the tissue and allows it to pull apart, leaving the edges feathered. Also needed are a stainless steel artist's knife or spatula to apply the paste and a clean flat working surface, such as a piece of plywood covered with a plastic garbage bag which has been washed to remove any oils from its manufacture. Press the edges of the tear together lightly with the fingers, making certain the parts go together properly while applying a small amount of paste. Apply some paste to a strip of tissue slightly longer than the tear, gently working the paste into the tissue with the spatula; the tissue will become transparent as the paste penetrates. Remove any excess paste. Pick up one end of the tissue with the tip of the spatula and carefully place it over the tear. Using the spatula and working from the tear to the edges of the tissue, gently apply the tissue to the item being repaired, blending the tissue fibers into those of the document. Any tissue that protrudes beyond the edge of the paper can be folded over to the backside of the page, giving reinforcement to the tear at the weakest point; i. e., the edge. When the repair is damp, but no longer sticky, press the item to prevent any curling. To eliminate the possibility of any sticking, used waxed paper over the repair and press the page between chipboard or white blotter paper, using a light weight. Long or irregular tears should be done with several small overlapping strips. Although this method is best tried first on papers of little importance, if something does go wrong, the tissue and paste is easily removed with water. After each repair, the working surface, tools and hands should be cleaned with water. Rice paste is a satisfactory adhesive for any project.Protective Encasement
Polyester encasement is a method of protection of brittle, fragile and deteriorating manuscripts, maps and other single leaf documents developed by the Library of Congress. This method offers significant advantages over other procedures: The process requires no expensive equipment and is performed by personnel who can be easily trained in the procedure. The final product, an envelope sealed along all four sides, protects the most fragile paper from further fracture and from harm or defacement. The document is immediately available for examination. Materials: Double-sided acrylic tape such as Scotch double- coated tape no. 415 (1/4" width) manufactured by 3-M Company. Polyester film: 3-mil for small or medium size documents (to 12" by 18"); 5-mil for larger documents; and 7-mil for large maps and posters. Available options are Dupont's Mylar types D, A or S; ICI's Melinex types O or 516; and 3-M's Scotchpar. See SOURCES. Tools: A sharp knife or scalpel, a window cleaning squeegee, lint-free dust cloths, two 2-pound weights with leather or felt bottoms (to prevent scratching the film or damaging the document), and a sheet of heavy paper at least two inches larger in both dimensions than the document being encased and ruled in centimeter squares as a grid. Method: 1. Cut two pieces of polyester film at least two inches larger, in both dimensions, than the document to be encased. 2. Place the grid on the work surface, aligning the edges of one sheet of film with the grid. 3. Wipe with a lint-free cloth to remove any dust particles and to create a static electrical charge in the film. 4. Center the document on the film, placing a weight upon it. 5. Using the grid as a guide, place a strip of tape on each of the four sides of the film, 1/8- inch from the edges of the document; leave a 1/16- inch gap at each corner. 6. Dust the surface of the second sheet of polyester that will contact the document. Since polyester tends to curl, the curved surfaces of each sheet should oppose one another, thus producing a flat envelope. 7. Removing the weight, place the second sheet over the document and squeegee to eliminate air pockets between the materials. 8. Place a weight in the center of the cover sheet. 9. Peel the backing paper from one strip of tape and then from an adjacent strip. 10. Squeegee along these tape edges. 11. Repeat for the other two sides. The top layer of film may be folded back and held in place with the second weight while the backing strips of the adhesive tape is removed from the corner as illustrated by the following diagram. Put the film back down over the exposed tape. 12. Squeegee over the tape firmly to assure a good seal and to eliminate air from the envelope. 13. Trim the envelope to within 1/16-inch of the tape. The extra allowance of film helps to prevent dirt and dust from accumulating on the tape edges. 14. Rounding the sharp corners with scissors or a nail clipper will help to prevent injury to other documents or even cuts to people. Material so encapsulated must be stored flat to prevent the tape from loosening, thereby breaking the seal. Materials: Ordinary paper clips and staples should be avoided or removed; they may rust and damage cellulose fibers. Use only stainless steel paper clips and corrosion resistant monel metal staples, available from Swingline, Inc. Rubber bands should be avoided unless they are of natural rubber which, however, becomes brittle and breaks fairly soon. Regular rubber bands have been treated with sulfur to make them last longer. This sulfur oxidizes and with moisture forms sulfuric acid which discolors and damages the materials. Inks also pose problems. Most colors are simply dyes and will fade in time. Felt tips are bad because of fading and they smudge with just hand moisture. Ball point and felt tipped pens use inks of a volatile nature and may cause damage to materials. Pencil is permanent but smudges. Carbon based inks (India or drawing) and carbon typewriter ribbon are permanent and carbon typewriter ribbon are permanent and can be used for marking, etc. There are also permanent record inks based on a material found in lesser strength in permanent blue- black fountain-pen inks which can also be used.Fire Emergencies
Fire Prevention Vigilance, equipment maintenance and good housekeeping will prevent most fires. Be alert to defective wiring, fuel oil leaks, oily rags and litter on a regular basis; have chimneys and heating systems examined annually. Fire Extinguishers At least one fire extinguisher should be available in a storage area. Use only those extinguishers which are appropriate to the material stored in a given area: Class A: ordinary combustibles; i.e., paper, wood, cloth. Class B: inflammable liquids, solvents, grease and oil. Class C: energized electrical equipment. Water-based extinguishers for Class A fires may cause as much damage to the materials as the fire; and potassium bicarbonate dry powder extinguishers are used exclusively for Class B and Class C fires. A type suitable for Class A, Class B and Class C fires is the monoammonium phosphate dry powder extinguisher which is harmless to artifacts and documents if cleaned off materials as soon as possible after use. An extinguisher should be light enough for any person who might have to use it; and should be purchased from a reputable dealer through whom the unit can be serviced and recharged when needed. The National Fire Protection Association suggests the following as minimum ratings for non-industrial use: 2A:10 B:C with 5 pound of dry chemical 5 B:C or Halon 1211 and bicarbonate dry chemical 2A for water extinguishers In case of fire: Call the fire department Get any people out Fight the fire - but only if it is small and you are in no dangerSources
Acid free papers file folders, storage boxes, mounting and matting board, polyester film, acrylic tape, etc.: Conservation Resources international, Inc. 1111 N. Royal Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Process Materials Corp. 329 Veterans Boulevard Carlstadt, NJ 07072 TALAS a division of Technical Library Services 104 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 Hollinger Corp. 3810 South Four-Mile Run Drive Arlington, VA 22206 University Products, Inc. P.O. Box 101 Holyoke, MA 01040 Light Impressions Corp. Archival Supplies 131 Gould Street Rochester, NY 14610 UF-3 Plexiglas and Acrylite OP-2 (tube or sheet form), UVA- 7, UVA-8 Plexiglas (molding pellets) are available from local plastics suppliers. Potassium Lactate Solution and Neat's-Foot Oil and Lanolin Mixture: The Newberry Library 60 West Walton Street Chicago, IL 60610 TALAS a Division of Technical Library Services 104 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 Amend Drug and Chemical Co. 8383 Cornia Street Irvington, NJ 07111 Return to the Maine State Archives home page. Return to the Department of the Secretary of State home page.