Frank Evans wrote:
>
>Can anyone please help with these two problems of conservation:
....
>also what sort of covering, if any, the iron gnomon might benefit from?
>Should the old paint be stripped off, and how?
A zinc-rich 'cold galvanising' paint such as 'Galvafroid' would give good
galvanic protection to an iron gnomon. It dries to a matt battleship grey but
can be painted over with any desired colour.
> Or should we just try to get a
>cast of the dial as it stands and leave the rest to the weather? If the
>latter course, where can we get advice on how to proceed? I have no
>experience of taking casts.
I undertook a similar project some years ago with "Vinamold" hot casting rubber
and the results were excellent. Our beloved college building was to be
bulldozed to make way for a new one and the stone crested keystone above the
main door had to be reproduced for preservation.
METHOD:
1. Build a temporary mould shell around the crest using thin sheet metal and
Plasticene to seal the gaps between metal edges and wall. All held in place
with temporary clamps etc.
2. Melt Vinamold in a saucepan and pour into mould through a gap left at the
top.
If several fills are needed to complete the job they will blend togther at
the casting stage.
3. Remove when cool and lay flat.
4. Mix dental plaster of paris and apply quickly to mould details with a brush
removing air bubbles as you work by vibrating the mould. e.g tap it gently
with a small hammer throughout.
5. When all detail is covered fill mould completely.
6. You can then repeat this as often as you wish to make many copies.
What I have omitted from the account.
1. A heroic student* abseiled?? (not in my dictionary) down the front of the
building carrying hot pans of molten rubber!
2. The stuff was bright red and the spillage ran down the front of the
building and looked just like running blood! However Vinamold peels off any
surface quite easily so no harm was done.
3. When we came to remove the mould from the keystone crest it was found to be
*LOOSE* so we could have taken it down and done the job in comfort on the
ground.
I don't know of a quicker way but it was certainly entertaining for the
bystanders.
Tony Moss.
* Sad to say he was murdered while standing at his own front door a year or two
later.
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