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Consolidating Dry Leather

Excessively dried-out leather starts to desiccate and become fragile. To stop it disintegrating completely you may need to consolidate or support it as follows. With a soft-bristled paint brush, gently apply one or more coats of clear polyacrylate resin to both sides of the leather. If you cannot gain access to one of the sides, slowly inject the liquid with a hypodermic syringe. (Note: Before you start, test a ...

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20th January 1996

Countering Damage from Air Pollution on Leather

The high levels of sulphuric acid and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere in some cities and industrial areas pose a threat to leather. These air-borne pollutants, when they are combined with excessive humidity, can initiate a process of corrosion that causes leather to decompose and eventually crumble into a fine red powder. This condition is known as ‘red rot’, and once it has set in it is incurable. The best way ...

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20th January 1996

Dealing with Fungus in Leather

The best protection against fungus is to store and display leather objects in a damp-free, well-ventilated environment. In very damp climates a traditional supplementary deterrent is to get a...

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20th January 1996

Deteriorating Plastics & What To Do

Although they appear stable, plastics from the late 19thC to the 21stC can deteriorate after time. Having identified any signs of deterioration, you should isolate affected pieces from the rest of a collection, and...

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20th January 1996

Displaying Plastic

All plastics are sensitive to light, especially direct sunlight, but also artificial light. The consequences of overexposure vary, from simple discoloration to...

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20th January 1996

Dry-Cleaning Non-Colorfast Textiles

Place the textile on a sheet of plastic and cover it with nylon filament screening. Pass the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner 2.5 to 5cm above the surface to remove any dust. Lay the textile on the screening. Heat dry potato starch in a saucepan...

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20th January 1996