Question Vellum
- Thread starter superdon
- Start date
jim_p
SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Funny you should ask... I was talking to my conservator about dealing with vellum. Flattening it is VERY tricky. She says that vellum is flattened and dried under enormous tension, and that it's VERY hygroscopic. As another grumbler said, if sheepskin gets wet it wants to return to the shape of the sheep 
Flattening it is definitely a job for a conservator, and even then permanency of result can't be guaranteed. It's probably better to get the client to appreciate it in its "natural" state...
Flattening it is definitely a job for a conservator, and even then permanency of result can't be guaranteed. It's probably better to get the client to appreciate it in its "natural" state...
05
Conservator
Flattening vellum isn't difficult -we do it all the time. We slowly and gently humidify it, then dry it between layers of Hollytex, between multiple layers of best blotting paper, under weight, for two weeks.
It WILL NOT stay flat, but a window mat that covers as much as possible, and a sealed mat package helps lots.
To attach the wide but few kozo hinges along the top, we often find that a 50/50 mix of wheat starch paste and Lascaux 498 sticks to the vellum better than straight WSP, and is almost as easy to remove when the time comes.
It WILL NOT stay flat, but a window mat that covers as much as possible, and a sealed mat package helps lots.
To attach the wide but few kozo hinges along the top, we often find that a 50/50 mix of wheat starch paste and Lascaux 498 sticks to the vellum better than straight WSP, and is almost as easy to remove when the time comes.
SGregg
True Grumbler
"To attach the wide but few kozo hinges along the top, we often find that a 50/50 mix of wheat starch paste and Lascaux 498 sticks to the vellum better than straight WSP, and is almost as easy to remove when the time comes."
I've recently had a conservator in the Atlanta area complete the flattening process of a 100+ year old diploma. This will be the second time I have dealt with this piece in the last 20 years. She suggested I cut a mat with a smaller opening, use cotton thread sewn through the edges in the middle of each side and enclose a desiccant package when re-fitting to its frame.
Do you agree or disagree with these suggestions?
I've recently had a conservator in the Atlanta area complete the flattening process of a 100+ year old diploma. This will be the second time I have dealt with this piece in the last 20 years. She suggested I cut a mat with a smaller opening, use cotton thread sewn through the edges in the middle of each side and enclose a desiccant package when re-fitting to its frame.
Do you agree or disagree with these suggestions?