Hard Stop - Bleaching and Paperbacking
After mixed results with bleaching and paperbacking, I'll need to regroup and ask the experts here to chime in to where my approach went sideways.
First off, bleaching/ lightening went fairly well. As for trying Charlie's Holytex/ Masa (or Mulberry in my case) and poster paperbacking where each medium is wheat pasted in sequence to a flat surface (in my case a large, flat formica table) - I struggled with the process a bit. I tried paper backing a movie insert and a lobby card (LC). The insert ended up with a number of small bubbles in the paper back. The LC had no bubbles but I somewhat ruined the ink when I tried to clean some of the excess wheat pasted off the card.
Bleaching summary:
If I were to do it over, I'd likely go with a 0.50 solution, instead of the 0.35 solution. For my first bleaching I wanted to be somewhat conservative.
Paperbacking summary (here's where I struggled):
Encountered wrinkles and air pockets when trying to lay the posters down. Not sure if I used enough wheat paste on the Mulberry when I laid the posters down. Not sure if I should have sprayed the backs of the posters with water before laying them down. This seemed to add to the wrinkling problem.
Using a dry press at low heat WILL remove air pockets but may have contributed to the paperbacking peeling off the insert. Again, I may have not used enough wheat paste. I'll need to review guidance on this site and watch the Posterfix videos to get a better feel on how much wheat paste to use (if that's the problem with the peeling).
Don't use a sponge on a wet poster!
I would be concerned about using a 0.50 bleach solution, however, as others have noted, the deacidifaction process does a great job of cleaning.
I'll take pics and try to create a video or two on my next attempt.
PLEASE chime in if you have any insight as to how I can improve.
First off, bleaching/ lightening went fairly well. As for trying Charlie's Holytex/ Masa (or Mulberry in my case) and poster paperbacking where each medium is wheat pasted in sequence to a flat surface (in my case a large, flat formica table) - I struggled with the process a bit. I tried paper backing a movie insert and a lobby card (LC). The insert ended up with a number of small bubbles in the paper back. The LC had no bubbles but I somewhat ruined the ink when I tried to clean some of the excess wheat pasted off the card.
Bleaching summary:
- Searched the web and figured out how to mix up a 0.35 Calcium Hypochlorite solution (found a formula on one the conservation sites). I measured out 3.0 grams of the powder and mixed it with approx. 700ml distilled water (I think I used distilled water - can't recall. I'll take better notes next time).
- AFTER deacidifying (which really helped getting the dirt off the poster and lightened it), I sprayed the solution on both sides of the poster and sandwiched it between Mylar for five minutes.
- Rinsed with our somewhat hard tap water
- Final rinse with distilled water (heavy spray with distilled water
If I were to do it over, I'd likely go with a 0.50 solution, instead of the 0.35 solution. For my first bleaching I wanted to be somewhat conservative.
Paperbacking summary (here's where I struggled):
- Pasted Holytex to a large, flat formica tabletop (Charlie posted videos of him removing his paperbacked piece using this method)
- Applied wheat paste to the Holytex
- Placed 30g mulberry (same thickness used for my first paperbacking attempt with an old Doors concert poster) to the Holytex
- Had difficulty laying the mulberry. Numerous folds which required lifting and replacing the Mulberry down several times to get it flat. Used a squeegee to get it flat but after working with it for a while, I got it flat. the lightweight Mulberry ripped a few times. While the Mulberry is 30g, it did provide a fairly still backing for the Doors poster. Others can chime in as to whether 30g is thick enough for an insert, 1/2 sheet or one sheet.
- Applied wheat paste to the Mulberry
- Lightly sprayed the backs of the insert and the LC with tap water
- Struggled again laying the insert onto the Mulberry. Lots of air pockets and wrinkles on the insert and the LC. Maybe I shouldn't have sprayed the insert and the LC with water before laying it down???
- Forgot Charlie's advice NOT to use a sponge to remove anything off a wet poster. I tried to remove excess wheat paste off the LC and the sponge removed the ink in places. As Charlie mentioned, while the Posterfix guy can be seen doing it, my limited experience says "don't do it."
- I noted a number of air pockets between the insert and LC and the Mulberry
- Used a squeegee, working inside out, to remove the air pockets I could see. As it turned out, I couldn't see many of them.
- Noted some small wrinkles on the LC
- Let everything dry for two days
- Using a cake pallet knife (bought a cheap set off Amazon), removed the Holytex/ Mulberry/ poster sandwich off the table
- Easily peeled the Holytex off the paperbacked poster (can the Holytex be used again?)
- LOTS of small air pockets between the insert and Mulberry. LC was OK. I'm guessing I did not apply enough wheat paste? Not sure why there were so many small air pockets on the insert. I had no air pockets on the LC and the old Doors poster
- After they were dry, as I did with the Doors poster, I placed them in my Seal Dry Press at approx. 175(F)
- Both flattened nicely. Just like the Doors poster
- Paperbacking peeled off one corner of the insert. No peeling on the LC.
Encountered wrinkles and air pockets when trying to lay the posters down. Not sure if I used enough wheat paste on the Mulberry when I laid the posters down. Not sure if I should have sprayed the backs of the posters with water before laying them down. This seemed to add to the wrinkling problem.
Using a dry press at low heat WILL remove air pockets but may have contributed to the paperbacking peeling off the insert. Again, I may have not used enough wheat paste. I'll need to review guidance on this site and watch the Posterfix videos to get a better feel on how much wheat paste to use (if that's the problem with the peeling).
Don't use a sponge on a wet poster!
I would be concerned about using a 0.50 bleach solution, however, as others have noted, the deacidifaction process does a great job of cleaning.
I'll take pics and try to create a video or two on my next attempt.
PLEASE chime in if you have any insight as to how I can improve.
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Feedback or answers to questions above always appreciated!
will comment on a few items that seem inconsistent with getting a paperbacking LC flat or Insert.
-after glueing the H-tex and then the Masa or Mulberry, i would use a brayer to smooth/flatten the fabric/paper to the board. This will create a completely flat substrate for the LC/WC/Insert to be laid down on.
-When you lay the LC or other on the paper you have removed one side of the mylar with the poster/whatever still "sticking/adhering" to one side of the mylar; you then apply an ever so thin layer of wheat starch adhesive then holding the mylar, from one end to the other you lay down the poster from end to end. This will ensure it is laid down flat.
-Then, do not use a brayer as typically it will be too much force and extract adhesive out; I use a dry washcloth and from the center to the edges I apply medium pressure to ensure the poster is laying flat and there are no bubbles/areas of non-adhesion of contact between the paper and the masa/mulberry.
-Also, wait at least 2 days for the H-tex and masa/mulberry to dry completely before washing you poster to lay down. This ensures you don't have three different types of paper/fabric drying at different rates. It will also help to minimize fold lines.
-After you lay the poster down using the mylar; as the Restoration Yoda told me years ago, NO TOUCHY-TOCHY! Let the poster dry. If you have excess wheat starch somewhere on the surface of the poster, you used way to much adhesive in the process.
- It took me about 1.5-2 years to get really good at laying down a poster that was about 70% dry and using the right amount of adhesive so those two elements create as smooth as possible poster laid down to be ready for restoration. Too much adhesive can create accentuated fold lines, which then take more time to be burnished down and in the end, wont burnish down enough, and will ultimately show like ridges when you finish the poster.
-I wouldn't use the H-text again, and by the way you can find less expensive alternatives at a fabric store; experiment with similar fabrics.
-as far as the dry press, i've never worked with one, but if i'm laying down a LC/WC/Insert or 1sht, i shouldn't need one. But maybe i'm not familiar with their advantages. I would like to learn how to "gel-back" a half sheet but that's a whole 'nother ball of wax.
-Oh, not having worked with Mulberry i cant comment, but when you lay down Masa to be a substrate, you need to gently apply water to the masa so it is like a wet blanket prior to gluing it to the canvas or H-tex, it is pure hell trying to lay flat stiff paper on canvas; also, but wetting the masa it will prevent the dry paper from sucking all the moisture out of the adhesive; cause then the adhesive won't work as well.
-Well that's about all for now. Will try to look over your chem items later.
-and finally, keep your phone close; pictures give a more clear picture of what issues your having.
best, Eisenhower
https://www.talasonline.com/Mulberry-Rolls?quantity=1&weight=75
You could use mylar and roll it up and un-roll it into place. Masa for example is 70gsm.