AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

Experiments and tests have been conducted to test some gap-fillers to determine their suitability for restoration of archaeological wood, wooden objects, and decorated wooden antiquities (such as carved, incised, engraved, turned and paneled wooden antiquities and artifacts, which include furniture, sculpture, frames, iconostasis ...etc.). 1. The Tested Materials: The tested gap-filler includes several compounds of filler materials and binding materials: 1. Filler materials such as Calcium Carbonate powder, Zinc Oxide powder and Beech wood dust. 2. Binding materials such as animal glue, Arabic Gum, Poly Vinyl Acetate emulsion, Paraloid (Acryloid) B72, Primal AC 33, Araldite PY 1092 with hardener HY 1092, Silicons. The experiments have been applied to several decorated wood species such as Teak, Sidder, Pine and Beech. 2. The Testing Work: The testing includes studying the materials properties such as: 1. The handling behaviors during and after application such as easiness of preparation, easiness of shaping, ability of adherence to application tools, shape stability, setting time, shrinkage, cracking and changing in color after dryness. 2. The carving, cutting and sanding ability after dryness. 3. The painting, coloring & dyeing ability (with different sorts of colors and dyes such as watercolors, water dyes and alcohol dyes) before & after sanding. 4. The pH, weight and mechanical properties such as compression, tension and static bending (modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity) before & after accelerated heat ageing. 5. The effects of the accelerated heat aging to the gap-filler and its properties such as mechanical properties and weight, as well as studying the changes to the tested materials regarding dehydration, cracking, brashness & fragileness, erosion & corrosion and changing in color. 3. Results and Conclusions: The best results were achieved using a gap-filler consists of “Beech wood dust as a filler, and Primal AC 33 as a binding material”, that appeared to be most useful for restoring the gaps, holes and cracks and for creating replacement for missing wooden details. This compound are almost neutral (pH = 6. 8 - 7.3 and became 6.6 – 6.9 after accelerated heat ageing that has been done at 110˚ for one month). It is also easy to be shaped, does not flow during application, good to be treated with tools as spatula and to hold a required shape. In the same time, it has good setting time (20-25 minutes); and when dry; it does not color, discolor or disfigure the wood in contact with it and easy to alter its appearance by carving, sanding and painting. It does not cracked or shrunk, does not discolor, it is easy to be compressed (1.900 (kPa) and became 1.800 (kPa) after accelerated heat ageing) and it is easy to be removed when required. The chosen gap-filler have been used in restoration of some wooden antiquities, filling of gaps holes and cracks and for creating replacement for missing wooden details. In this paper, the experimental work conducted with the complete results and examples of the practical applications will be described in details with comparative and analysis display.