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Restoring the Mantel
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" That's a pretty interesting technique of stripping paint great it was it is dead. Well I've just vacuum off. Madeleine chloride based stripper that I've been using on this heavily over needed. Ornament here on the -- is having. -- it's it's a commonly available. -- you -- it is the main story art restorer. Well I think admit there's roughly outstripped -- is that the process used for the whole. -- no actually on most the flat surfaces. The profiles. These columns. I use that he'd done OK and various profile scrapers so there's. This one of these two. This one works very well in these fluted columns right -- Moving it back and forth you can get into the profile quite nicely that -- that would heat gun right and what's this witness and here be here this is excellent for very tight corners. And here you see him running along the grain of this profile OK. But I am not stating against the grain price flat surface here this will also works very nicely in. Against flat surfaces. Where you've got around to answer this next to it -- which there quite a few actually on this panel all three of these. And that's that the process that -- is shaping up here on the these days -- musical looking -- if they write these liars are. Have had several applications. Probably as many as six or seven applications of stripper. And as you saw I use the scraper. While these strippers on there to get them into the profiles and then ultimately. Without a stripper on there would -- papers well and you can see them in the last little residues of way. Between each of these individuals strings which are fairly delicate don't know he can -- correct this ornament cannot withstand high temperature. They are made of among other things hide glue. Which is made from animal hides -- OK. I groove linseed oil. -- that this is how to originated with an animal but we're out attach them that's correct and I noticed you got one over -- Right over here I have. An environmental. Basically fully stripped and I'm now repairing ornaments with that pretty much like we just left. It is very similar in construction the only difference is the motif. In the freezer area here where we had liars and other musical motif there we have. Here day. And then we've got dolphins and other seafaring. Emblems we also have a masonic symbol here. In the center of these two panels OK now we're seeing how -- of that been applied before in and passed -- Jobs but against union that doing the composition gave there was something different that's right when I'm doing is. Complete completely different in appearance. And using plaster of Paris. Mixed with a bonding agent which I'm adding right now to some cold water. Here's my bonding agent of the using this -- an -- mixture which -- then add plaster of Paris. Mixing that -- about the consistency of two things. I always and the powder to the liquid makes it fairly slowly but with plaster of Paris as you know. That's not don't ask don't have a lot of work into. So Ryley and using a one to one ratio here between water and bonding agent. In my plaster of Paris snakes. OK now on. Applying the bonding agent right to the surface of the man. Well I can see that the bonding agent is ready now and so is the plaster some of the put on these magnifying glasses. And just say that everything that absolutely and and the -- lay on a very rough. Initial application of the plaster. Location. We're going to be repairing. And trowel. That's exactly what it is to be sure -- have enough in place. Come back and while smoothed it out. Greg and I use them and materials that are out now for a would fellas that to do this work as opposed to laughter. Ralitsa it's a preservation -- philosophy that we don't want to."
" Fool or trick or confuse any future conservatives should they come along and want to strip and they traced the history of this panel they want to say that this is a Rattan known advocate here correct these are going to be very obviously repairs other completely different materials and I've got to ask you what are these red tape. Those indicate locations where I've got work cut out forming the legacy ornament are missing ornaments and about thirty locations. Some -- very simple some are rather more. Complicated we have a flower down there that have already done some work others are very simple -- they're just big blisters. That so it wouldn't be building and in -- if you have any special tools for the actual having well I've been using. Anything that works really bad specifically I've got some. Very small hobby knives. We we -- which worked well he had got some here couple of pieces that I laid up earlier today and them act now shape these. Using these exact and I really works well at this age I also have dental -- news. That very nice. Thing about the bonding agent I use -- it makes the plants prepares workable. For much longer period of time regular. Street plaster that are very nice."