08-26-2002, 09:36 AM
Some quick notes on restoration - if this thread is still alive.
Ironing - you can iron any doc unless it is very unstable or has any glue or tape on it. BUT, you do it on low heat and through several layers of clean white, best unbleached, cotton. It is best to do it after the unfold and press under books technique which someone else described.
By the way, I find blunt-end stamp tweezers are great for unfolding folded-up doc corners.
Tape - I have several great huge WWII RKKA maps each made of many smaller maps pasted together. Some are quite torn. I found a roll of special German tape at an art suppliers. I use it on the back of the map where I need to fix tears.
Gum - there is a special gum, like silly-putty, available at museum supply stores. I bought some from England. (I forget the name but can look it up.) It is used to roll on docs and take of surface dirt and oil and grime. BUT, I have found on careful experimentation that most Soviet papers are too poor quality - the surface itself can come off. So I now only use it for really strong post-1970 papers (and not all of them) and uniform fibers.
Shawn
Ironing - you can iron any doc unless it is very unstable or has any glue or tape on it. BUT, you do it on low heat and through several layers of clean white, best unbleached, cotton. It is best to do it after the unfold and press under books technique which someone else described.
By the way, I find blunt-end stamp tweezers are great for unfolding folded-up doc corners.
Tape - I have several great huge WWII RKKA maps each made of many smaller maps pasted together. Some are quite torn. I found a roll of special German tape at an art suppliers. I use it on the back of the map where I need to fix tears.
Gum - there is a special gum, like silly-putty, available at museum supply stores. I bought some from England. (I forget the name but can look it up.) It is used to roll on docs and take of surface dirt and oil and grime. BUT, I have found on careful experimentation that most Soviet papers are too poor quality - the surface itself can come off. So I now only use it for really strong post-1970 papers (and not all of them) and uniform fibers.
Shawn
