.......

.... .....:... ~ . ~ " " .. , ..

..... ,.:,.,.,."
Moulding and Casting of
Museum Objects
using siliconerubber
and epoxyresin
Erling Benner Larsen
Konservatorskolen
Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi
1981
,1
Moulding and Casting of
Museum Objects
Foreword
Introduction
Contents
Equipment and work tools
Lightning
Ventilation
Oven
Refrigerator
Weighing machine
Palette
Work tools
Mould materials
Silicone rubber
Rubber latex
Formalose
Plaster of Paris
Paper
Gutta-percha
Glue
Castinq materials
Epoxy resin
Polyester
Polyacrylate
Fillers and piqments
Fillers
Mineral fillers
5
6
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
10
15
15
20
21
22
23
2.4
25
26
26
28
29
30
30
31
Dry pigments 32
Araldite colours 32
Tempera/qouache 32
Metal 33
Release agents 34
Work hygiene 35
Epoxy 35
Polyester 36
Peroxide 37
Siliccne rubber 37
Moulding 38
Mixing of silicone rubber 39
Catalyst 39
Repair of moulds 40
Simple one-piece moulds 41
One-piece open-sided moulds 42
Piece-moulds 45
Metal casting moulds 50
Wax casting moulds 51
Casting and colouring 53
Primary colouring 53
Colouring of casting material 54
Retouching 54
Gilding 55
Examples 56
Ministry of Greenland replica 56
Elektrotyping 66
Centrifugal casting 67
Restoration moulding 69
Literature list 72
Suppliers list 74
4
Forevvord
These lecture notes are first and foremost
meant as a textbook for the students of the
Cultural History Department at the School of
Conservation, Copenhagen. They are based on
the experience gained while making replicas of
museum objects. The chosen materials are
principally silicone rubber and epoxy resin,
these materials being the best suited to
nearly all replica projects.
I would like to thank Peter Shorer, Senior
Conservation Officer at the British Museum,
London who aroused my interest in museum
replica work; Gerda M ~ l l e r and Peter Henrichsen,
conservators, both of the National Museum, Co-
penhagen for an inspiring collaboration during
the production of 4.500 copies of Greenlandic
antiquities for the Greenland School Service.
The photographs are by kind permission of
Lennart Larsen, Nationalmuseet, Copenhagen and
Mogens S. Koch, School of Conservation, Copen-
hagen. This publication is sponsored by Helge
Brinch Madsen, head of the Department, and the
translation by Maggie Meyers both of the School
of COIlservation, Copenhagen. To all I would like
to express my gratitude.
December 1981 E. Benner Larsen.
Introduction
Conservators are often confronted with a
problem which involves moulding and casting of
museum objects.
With the use of moulding and casting techni-
ques it is possible for important finds to be
accessible as copies at many different places,
for example for exhibition abroad or for study
use. In cases where valuable museum objects,
for one reason or other,' cannot withstand
exhibition conditions, copies could be exhibited
and the originals stored in suitable environ-
ments. Casting techniques are also nseful in
restoring missing fragments of objects and in
the reproduction of inaccessible details. Tech-
nological examinations can be made by collecting
replicas of the objects and comparing them one
with another. A replica can also record a
deterioration process, by comparing the replica
with a later worsening condition of the original.
There is today a great interest in replicas
for sale at museums; in the main these replicas
are not very accurate compared with the originals.
This is in part due to the production process
used such as thermo-vulcanisinq rubbers or sand
moulding, which in many cases can also damage
6
the originals.
Electrotype reproductions ensure that the
basis of these replicas for sale are identical
with the original. Electrotyping thus has many
applications, but in these notes it can only be
mentioned in passaing, but reference can be made
to my thesis "Galvanoplastik, med nogle eksemp-
ler pa anvendelsesmuligheder" (Electrotyping,
and its possible applications) Konservatorskolen
1977, which deals with this subject.
Moulding and casting using silicone rubber and
epoxy resin, supplemented with electrotyping,
can satisfactorily be used to produce exact
and reliable replicas of nearly all museum
objects.
Cultural History Department
The School of Conservation
Copenhagen
December 1981 E. Benner Larsen.
7
Lighting
Ventilation
Equipment
and work tools
This section deals with the equipment, work
tools and basic materials needed in the pro-
duction of silicone rubber moulds and epoxy
resin casts. The suppliers of materials and
equipment are listed at the back of this book.
Colouring and retouching processes require
very even daylight, therefore the positioning
of the worktable up against a large window
(preferably north facing) is expedient.
Moulding and other processes can however be
carried out in artificial light.
The work room should have good ventilation
available. To work with epoxy resins is not
without risks, therefore it is imperative to
have an organised work area and to follow the
safety rules given in the section:Work hygiene.
Small proJects, using these materials for a
short time can be carried out in a well ven-
tilated room, using a barrier skin cream, and
perhaps rubber gloves.
8
Oven
Refrigerator
Weighing
machine
Palette
Larger jobs of longer duration require the
availability of an efficient extraction system,
best would be a combination extraction for
both light and heavy vapours. This can be
installed, if there already is a strong
extraction unit, by fitting a worktable with
extraction vents along all four sides to
remove the heavy vapours combined with an
overhead extractor for the light vapours.
Solvents (toluene, acetone etc. ) should be
stored in labelled bottles.
If numerous epoxy resin copies are to be made
from a si.licone rubber mould it is necessary
to have a: thermostatically controlled oven
available. With repeated casting with epoxy
resin, there is a chemical alteration of the
silicone rubber mould, which eventually leads
to a total binding between the two materials.
One can prolong the life of a silicone rubber
mould ~ y baking it for at least 8 hours at
l50
o
C, thereby reducing the arnine,content of
the mould (See fig. 29).
During some casting projects for example a
large massive cast, it might be advantageous
to d e ~ a y the hardening process in a refrigera-
tor. If one wants a completely bubble free,
glass-like cast it is absolutely necessary for
the hardening process to be carried out in a
refrigerator.
A sensitive balance weighing machine of about
2.5 kilos capacity is very suitable for the
weighing of materials. (See fig. 31).
A palette is useful when matching colours
in epoxy resins. A hardboard sheet covered
with white paper over which a piece of
acetate foil is taped makes a suitable palette.
9
Work tools
After use the acetate foil is discarded and
replaced by a new piece. If the palette has
to be changed frequently it could be advan-
tageous to have a "continuous palette". One
can buy rolls of acetate foil, about 30 cms
wide, to be used with overhead projectors.
Fit two brass L-section strips with brass
screws, one to the worktable edge and the other
about 30 cms in from the edge (see fig.l).
Fig. 1.
palette
The L-section strips must be mounted 5 cms
wider apart than the width of the acetate
foil. Cut a slit on the lower edge of the
front strip so that with a simple pull the
foil is freed, torn off and discarded. The
acetate foil runs under the two L-section
strips, a piece of white paper is placed under
the foil.
The use of work tools is very injividual, one
often has forged or by other made tools
which are sui tab le for a particl. Lar purpose.
Fig.2 Shows a selection of di ff ( ren t wo rk tools
10
Fig. 2. Work tools
Wooden modelling Modelling tools are suitable for all sorts of
tools casting projects. Many artists suppliers
stock boxwood/ebony modelling tools of many
different shapes. It is often necessary to
polish newly bought implements with emery
paper before use.
Metal modelling
tools
Cheese cuttecs
The most important metal modelling tool is a
small spatula with a thin tongue at one end
~ n d a trianqular upturned end at the other.
These are a ~ s o rouqhly finished at the
factory and require smoothing before use.
Old dental tools can well be altered to
good modelling implements.
Modelling material (Plasticine) is best cut
into sheets with the use of a homemade
"cheese cutter". A brass or iron ro.d, about
35 cm long and 4 mm in diameter is bent as
shown on fig.3. A little slit is cut in both
ends of the rod with a metal saw. Between
these slits stretch and fasten by knotting a
very thin banjo string, pressing the two rod
11
Sieves
Paper cups
ends towards each other so that the wire is
completely taut between them. It is advan-
tageous to have at least three "cheese cutters"
with different slit heights (e.g. 3 mm, 5 mm,
10 mm) so that plasticine sheets of different
thicknesses can .be cut.
Fig. 3. Cheese cutters
Dry pigments, for colouring the casting resin,
are always lumpy to greater or lesser extent.
The piqments must be sieved throuqh a fine-
meshed sieve Fine-meshed sieves
are hard to find but are easy to make. Take,
for example, an empty PVC container in which
Wacker's silicone rubber is supplied and cut
the bottom off as level as possible. Over a
qas burner or a hot plate place a sheet of
copper, and on that a fine-meshed brass net
somewhat larger than tr;.e container's diameter.
When the sheet is warm enough, press the
PVC container down onto the brass net and weld
it on firmly. Thereafter only the edge needs
to be clipped off with metal sissors.
Weigh and mix silicone rubber and epoxy reSin
1.
Disposable
syringes
Rubber
gloves
Pipettes
Tongue spatulas
Palette knife
in disposable paper cups (e.g. 200 ml) the in-
side being parafin wax treated. Never use
plastic cups for epoxy resin, they can melt
with the heat that is generated during the
hardening process.
Disposable syringes (30 ml) are recommended
for dispensing both components of epoxy
resin to avoid contact with one's skin.
These syringes should be marked for example
"adhesive" and "hardener" so that they cannot
be confused, thus ruining the syringe and/or
the mixture.
Care and cleanliness is essential when working
with silicone rubber or epoxy resin.
Before working with these materials barrier
skin cream should be rubbed into hands and
lower arms; so called chemical gloves. How-
ever, if there is a possibility of contact
with skin this is not enough; rubber gloves
must be used as well. In cases where tactile
senses are important, thin latex surgical
gloves can be used together with barrier
cream.
Disposable plastic pipettes are recommended
for dispensing silicone rubber catalyst.
Beech wood tongue spatulas are suitable as
mixing rods for silicone rubber and epoxy
resin. They can be discarded after use.
C=============J
Fig. 4. Tongue spatula
A palette knife with a rounded end (fig.S)
is suitable for mixing epoxy resin with
13
Paint brushes
pigments on a palette. "Vang" number 53102
is very suitable.
Fig. 5.
Palette knife
The cheapest type of long handled bristle
paint brush (for oil painting)' is su::table
for applying the silicone rubber and filling
mOUlds with epoxy resin.
The application of dry pigments onto the
silicone rubber mould before casting (des-
cribed later) and retouching the final copy
is done with squirrel or sable hair paint
brushes.
Other tools that might be necessary:
Scalpals, needle files (flat, round,
elipse and triangular), wire turning tools,
sissors, tweezers, pin vice and diverse
spring clamps are most commonly used.
Work tools should be cleaned thoroughly after
use.
. "
.: .. ' ~
Silicone
rubber
Choice of
silicone rubber
Mould materials
Silicone rubber is an extremely precise mould-
ing material which is able to reproduce any
surface in minutest detail. Of all moulding
materials silicone rubber has by far the
greatest accuracy. All silicone rubber types
have a common molecular structure of a chain
of alternate silica and oxyqen atoms, onto
which is linked groups of carbon and hydroqen
atoms.
R t R 1 R
I I I
O-Si O-Si O-Si-O
I I I
R R n R
The molecules are spiral and very flexible.
There are differences between cold and warm
hardening silicone rubbers, but common to both
types are that they remain stabile in a large
o 0
temperature range (- loo C -+ 260 C), they
repel adhesion, and are resistant to light,
air and ozone. After hardening they are phy-
sically inactive.
There are many different types of silicone
rubbers. In the following I will briefly review
the silicone rubber- types which have produced
the best results.
15
The following silicone rubbers all vulcanise
at room temperature and are of two components
(a polymethylsiloxane suitably filled and
hardened with a peroxide). They release from
nearly all non-porous surfaces without the aid
of a release agent; this is very important
when an exact copy is required. They all have
a linear shrinkage of under 0,6%, when the
recommended amount of catalyst is added (see
the table). When epoxy resin is cast into
a hardened silicone rubber mould, the epoxy's
hardener and perhaps accelerator is absorbed
into the mould's surface. With repeated epoxy
casts from the same mould there is a chemical
alteration of the silicone rubber which
results in a partial and later a total binding
between the two materials. This is unfortunate
but the life of a mould can be considerably
prolonged by baking in a ventilated oven at
100
0
- 150
0
C for eight hours between each
casting, hereby reducing the amine content in
the mould.
All the listed rubber, types can be reinforced
with gauze or glass fibre.
The most suitable silicone rubber should be
s e l e c t ~ d for each mouldinq project.
The following table shows the types of
silicone rubbers I have most often used in
relation to each other.
16
\-J
---J
Type Colour
VJacker Light
P,TV--M 400 yellow
-----
Red-
RTV-M 426 brown
Wacker White
RTV-M 457 light
grey
Wacker Pearl
RTV-M 533 white
._----- ..._---._--------_.--_ .. - r----
\-Iacker Milk
- ... r::;"1Q
*- 1'-1:1:: s-
parent
r-----
Dow Corning Chalk
i
Silastic
9161\ whi te
Viscosity
0
cP at 23 C
35,000 -
45,000
20,000 -
30,000
25,000 -
35,000
40,000 -
50,000
paste
12,000
I
Density Tensile Hardness Catalyst
I
Comments
I
g/cm
3
strength
Shore A %
I
av.%
1. 30 250 232:3 2%T40 Durable <t I

i
very flexible
1. 44 120
+
60-5 2%T40 Liquid,good resistance
to heat
1. 24 250
+
40-3 2%T40 Durable,
flexible
1.16 380 252:3 5%T46 Extremely flexible,
-
pourable, great
tensile strength
1.11 600
+
20-3 5%T46 Extreme tensile
strength and elastic
1.60 120
+.
40-2 2%9162 Liquid suitable for
photographic work, low
tensile strength
- _ .. - -- ---
vlacker silicone rubbers have two hardening
systems, namely a lonq and a short vulcanising
period. Information about each rubber type is
available as technical data fromWacker Kemi
and Dow Corning.
An example is seen in the following diaqram
for 533 where the viscosity is dependant on the
hardening time after the addition of the cata-
o
lyst, measured at 23 C, 50% RH.
100
90
0..
80
u
0
70
0
0
60
-
c: 50
.-
...
40
:c
...
30
.;;;
0
20
..::/.
'"
:> 10
0 10 20 3040 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Zeit in Minuten
Fig. 6. From Wacker technical information
Low temperature and relative humidity delays
the hardening process, whereas high temperature
and humidity accelerate hardening.
Details of the individual silicone rubbers
follow:
Wacker RTV-M 400 has a good fluid property,
great flexibility, is miscible with the paste
539 in any proportions to the required consisten-
cy. Mix the two rubbers together first, then
add 5% T46 hardener.
Wacker RTV-M 426 should not be used when moulding
porous surfaces, the red colour could give an
unfortunate tinting. 426 has a good fluid
property and is especially sUited to casting
L8
metal alloys with low melting points (the rub-
ber tolerates up to 300C). Before casting with
metal the mould surface should be carefully
covered with graphite. The first cast is often
full of bubbles, due to gases escaping in the
silicone rubber mould, but after several casts
the fourth or fifth one should be bubble free.
Wacker RTV-M 457 is a further development of
that often referred to in German conservation
literature as Giesmasse 56. It has a low
viscosity and good mechanical properties.
Wacker RTV-M 533 has very good elasticity,
high tensile strength and long usable life
with epoxy resin casts. A very suitable rubber
for complicated geometric moulds. Miscible with
RTV-M 539 in any proportions with the addition of
5% catalyst T 46.
Wacker RTV-M 539 has extreme mechanical strength,
viscous, paste consistency, transparent in. thin
layers.
The rubber's paste consistency makes it very
suitable for use on large porous surfaces (e.g.
wood, sandstone etc.) In the vulcanised state
it releases easily from such surfaces.
Dow Corning Silastic 9161 is a very light
liquid rubber that records the finest details.
It has a very low tensile strength which makes
it very suitable for moulding fragile objects,
the rubber breaks before the object.
Silastic 9161 is outstanding in reproducing
details when a microscopic examination is
required, for example in technological studies
of surfaces. It is also very "photogenic".
Of the silicone rubbers Silastic 9161 releases
best from glass and glazed ceramic surfaces. It
19
Rubber latex
is also economical being half the price of the
above mentioned rubbers.
Unhardened silicone rubber is soluble in
toluene, in which paint brushes can also be
cleaned.
Rubber latex (Revultex etc.) is a thin liquid
rubber-milk to which is added 0.5-1.7% ammonia.
After vulcanisation this rubber is extremely
flexible (e.g. surgical gloves) and in many
cases can be used instead of silicone rubber.
However due to the high ammonia content it is
not recommended as a moulding material on
metals, marble, ivory and painted surfaces
without a thorough lacquering/impregnation of
the object first. In which case rubber latex
is less suitable for precision moulding because
there will always be a microfilm (lacquer layer)
between the object and the moulding material.
However used carefully, good results can be
obtained using rubber latex moulds. The rubber
is applied to the surface of the object with
cotton wool swobs (paint brushes are ruined with
rubber latex) in many thin layers, allowing each
layer to vulcanise before applying the next".
The rubber can be mixed with talcum or saw dust
to a soft consistency when a stronger piece - mould
would be required. First 2-3 layers of straight
rubber latex should be applied, thereafter the
soft rubber paste can be spread on with a
spatula/palette knife to the required thickness.
Rubber latex moulds can also be strengthened
with gauze or fibre glass matting. These are
best applied by first cutting into suitable small
pieces, dipping them into the rubber paste then
dabbed onto the mould.
Rubber latex moulds require at least 12 hours
to harden before the object can be removed from
the mould. Dust the mould liberally with
2c
Formalose
talcum so that the rubber does not stick to
itself.
Formalose is a cellulose product which can be
useful in moulding the interior of an object
where it is impossible to use silicone rubber,
e.g. a narrow-necked Greek vase.
One starts by first making a piece mould of
the exterior.
Formalose is supplied as a lumpy mass which
melts on heating. To avoid sticking, the
bottom of a pan should be covered with water
and the Formalose added in handfulls while
constantly stirring. The material is ready
for use when it ha-s a creamy consistency.
When the outer mould is hard, open it up and
remove the assemble the piece-mould
again and pour in the molten Formalose. Forma-
lose shrinks several percent on hardening thus
forming a cavity between the mould and the
Fig. 7.

casing

Copy of
",",-'I----\-
object

rod
__
I I
--("I .. __ ----.r--Support
'-{i-
I_I casing
Mould with a core of formalose
21
Plaster of
Paris
Formalose core into which the casting material
is poured. When copying thin-walled objects
(e.g. glass) this shrinkage cavity might be
adequate for the cast. Otherwise the Formalose
core must be shaved down to the required size,
in which case it might be advantageous to in-
sert a metal rod to facilitate clamping. The
hardened Formalose can be filed, sawn, ground
and polished.
The Formalose core is a one-off production;
after the cast material has hardened the
Formalose core must be scrapped out using
various tools. The process must be repeated
if more copies are required.
Plaster of Paris has long been used as a
moulding material.Plaster suitable for casting
is made by sprinkling well sieved plaster
(dental, superfine white or casting) into
water, to which could be added glue, borax or
dextrine to regulate the final proportions.
The plaster is added to the water until there
is an island of plaster'. When the island is
saturated with water the plaster can be care-
fully stirred with a whisk to a pouring creamy
consistency. The hardening reaction begins
very quickly, the plaster becomes thicker and
heat is generated. Within half an hour the
plaster will be hard.
When making a plaster mould of a complicated
object it will be necessary to make a mould of
many pieces. The jOint lines between the
indivLdual mould pieces should be so placed
to ensure that there are no undercuts and each
mould piece should be keyed to the next.
Als) the mould must be so planned so that
air b'lbbles released during subsequent casting
can e-;cape.
A f t - ~ r moulding the porous plaster surfaces
Paper
have to be sealed, otherwise it would be
impossible to release any cast from them. They
can be sealed with several layers of shellac or
with warm soapy water to which a little olive
oil is added. The soap dries out in a couple
of hours after which time the castinq process
can proceed.
Plaster of Paris has in recent times been
replaced bv the advantaqes of silicone rubber
as a mould material, but is still a very use-
ful material for silicone rubber and qlue
mould support casinq (oddsides). As such,
plaster has the disadvantaqe that it expends
about 1% on hardeninq. This can be reduced
slightly by adding a drop of ethanol to the
plaster before use.
Filter paper is an important mould material,
though it requires some practice to achieve good
results. The method is very suitable on all
surfaces where great precision is not required
and where there are no undercuts. Paper moulds
are suitable for taking 'impressions of
inscriptions on stone such as runes, engravings
etc.
Materials needed are a pile of industrial
filter paper, a bucket of water and a large
shoe cleaning brush.
The method is as follows:
Cut the filter paper into suitable pieces,
depending on the job in hand. Allow the paper
to soak in the water - the longer the better,
but at least an hour. Then carefully lift a
single piece of paper up and place it on the
object, press in place by hand. Then dip the
brush in the water and beat the paper, very
carefully at first and gradually harder. The
idea is that the fine paper fibres are broken
up and pressed into the underlying hollows by
23
Gutta-percha
the bristles of the brush.
The paper tears over sharp edges, at which
point one takes a new piece of paper and
continues, taking care not to trap air bubbles
between the layers of paper. Ten to fifteen
layers of paper worked in together are sufficient
to make a good paper mould. Thereafter one must
allow the water to evaporate, do not try to
remove a damp mould off, it must remain in place
until it flakes off by itself. The paper
mould keeps its shape and after repeated applica-
tions of shellac on both sides many fine copies
can be cast in plaster or epoxy resin.
Fig.
8. Paper mould, untreated and lacquered
Gutta-percha extracted from the sap of various
plants belonging to the Sapotacernes family.
which is ingenioUS to Sumatr1 and Borneo.
Earlier it was extensively used in the elec-
trical industry as insulatic :,. Ir, the museum
world it has been used as material,
24
Glue
Since the middle of last century, particularly
in the production of electrotypes.
Gutta-percha becomes soft and pliable when
warmed to about 80
0
C in a double saucepan,
thereafter it is pressed firmly onto the area
to be moulded. If the object to be moulded is
first dusted with graphite the gutta-percha
mould releases easily.
Moulds made of warm glue are still greatly
used on sculptures which later will be cast in
bronze (cire-perduel.
25
Epoxy resin
Casting materials
Epoxy resin is one of the newest synthetic
casting materials. Epoxy resins vary in
consistency from low viscosity liquids to high
melting resins. They are composed of a
viscous resin component which contains an
epoxy ring which hardens by cross-linking at
room temperature after the addition of a
suitable hardener.
Epoxy ~ s produced by, a reaction between
epichlorhydrin and bisphenol A.
Cl - CH - CH - CH + HO
2 ,,/ 2
o
OH
Liquid aliphatic polyamines is normally used
as hardener for liquid epoxy resin, with
tertiary amines as a hardener catalyst. It
is very important that the exact quantity of
hardener is used for each product.When there
is too little hardener an incomplete hardening
will result; with too much hardener the amines
soften the resin and at the same time reacts
with carbon dioxide in the air. The amount of
hardener required is stated in the technicaJ
data, and is unually given in weight percent
19-
o
Allergic reactions can easily develop from
amines and therefore ought to be used with care.
They are alkaline and therefore dangerous to
the eyes. Aromatic amines can be carcinogenic.
When working with epoxy resins one must be
careful and tidy (see the section on Work
hygiene) .
The reasons for choosing epoxy resin as a
casting material are many:
Epoxy hardens at room temperature. With the
addition of different fillers and pigments
epoxy can produce any type of surface/refractive
index. The material is more pleasant to work
with than for example polyester whose strong
vapours are unpleasant and a health risk.
Epoxy, because of its structure, is the most
exact casting material, it has minimal linear
shrinkage (less than 0.5%), whereas polyesters
and polyacrylates often have a shrinkage of
10-12%.
There are hundreds of different epoxy resins
on the market. Gerda M ~ l l e r , Conservator at
The National Museum, Copenhagen has for many
years used Araldite M with the hardener
HY 956 from Ciba-Geigy. It is also the casting
resin with which I have had the best results.
Araldite M/hardener HY 956 is mixed in the
proportions 100:20 1 w/w%.
Properties before hardening.
!\rald i. te M
Liquid, yellow/transparent
Viscosity/cP 1.350 - 1.700
Density g/011
3
1.1 - 1.15
Hardener Hy 956: Liquid, yellow/transparent
Viscosity cP 400 - 500
Density g/on
3
1.0 - 1.05
27
Polyester
Working time for quantities up tc 500 gm is
45 min. at 2o
o
C. Minimum hardeni:1g time:
24 hours. Total hardening: I
A disadvantage of Araldite M is the slight
yellow tone, which makes it unsuitable for
glass casting. Instead one can another
epoxy resin: Plastogen EP fram Al:ons Schmidt.
Araldite M is use for casting and making
support casings for silicone rubber moulds.
All mineral and metal powders can be added
to Araldite M as fillers, as well as all
synthetic granules. It can be cc loured with
Araldite DW colours and dry
Before cross-linking,Araldite is soluble in
acetone; therefore paint brushes etc. should
be very thoroughly cleaned in
Unsaturated polyesters are made c: raw
materials with unsaturated
Polyhydroxy alcohol and polybasic acids
react with each other and because of the
molecules' unsaturated nature the molecule
chains crosslink to a three net-
work. An organic peroxide is aoced as catalyst.
Peroxides are very dangerous ana strong oxidising
agents which should be handled 'Y,':" th respect
(always use safety goggles). polyesters
have an accelerator which is often a cobolt
solution. Peroxides are highly and
must never come into direct with the
accelerator, an explosion could =ccur.
As a casting material, polyester is not as
suitable as the epoxy resins; often has
a linear shrinkage of 12%. This shrinkage
can be reduced by half if a is added,
but even so this shrinkage is
when museum objects are to be Poly-
ester has a tendency to crack be tacky.
Therefore it is difficult to into silicone
28
Polyacrylate
rubber moulds. However there are situations
where polyester is useful, namely for a glass
clear cast, reinforced with glass fibre
matting for casting large areas, as well as
silicone rubber mould support casings.
Palatal P 4 FL from Alfons Schmidt is an
unsaturated polyester dissolved in styrene
and is the best polyester I have worked with.
To loo gm Palatal P 4 FL is added 2 gm catalyst
(methylethylketonperoxide) and 1-2 drops
accelerator (1% coboltnaphtenate solution).
Fillers can be added to polyesters and it can
be coloured with dry pigments, oil and aniline
colours.
When working with large quantities of poly-
ester, one must use an authorised face mask.
Polyacrylate resin is a two component system.
A solid polymer in powder form and a liquid
monomer in which a catalyst is dissolved. This
makes a liquid mass which hardens at room
temperature, the rate of which can vary from
7-30 mins depending on the proportions used.
Polyacrylates have the same disadvantage as
the polyesters in that many shrink up to 12%
when hardening. Technovit 4004 a is a metha-
crylate which has the least shrinkage.
The powder and liquid are mixed before use:
first pour out the liquid and sprinkle the
powder in. Stir well but carefully to avoid
air bubbles in the resin. For a normal harde-
ning 5 parts weight powder to 4-5 parts weight
liquid is suggested. Only small portions
(about 25 g) can be mixed at at time.
29
Fillers
Fillers and pigments
In order to produce exact copies one must have
control of all the materials and processes
available: the coice of silicone rubber for
moulding, the exact study of the object's
colour/refraction index (transparency) and the
choice of fillers and pigments for colouring
and retouching to similate the original.
The object's micro-surface is reproduced
exactly in the silicone rubber mould, but the
choice of fillers, pigments, casting and
colouring methods makes it possible to make
faithful copies of extremely different objects
such as a flint dagger that changes in colour
and transparency, a clear blue glass bead and
a rusty nail.
The addition of fillers has three functions:
1. To achieve the required consistency of the
casting resin.
2. To achieve the required density/transparency.
3. To achieve the required weight.
The fillers can be divided into three groups:
1. Dry mineral fillers.
2. Metal fillers - Void o ~ grease and oil.
3. Synthetic granules.
30
Mineral
fillers
The mineral fillers are by far the most
useful. It is only in cases where weighting
is required that metal and synthetic granules
have been used.
Aerated silicas are the most important mineral
fillers. They are made by flame hydrolysis
of silica tetrachloride in a mixture of oxygen
and hydrogen SiCl
4
+ 2H
2
0 -7 Si0
2
+ 4 HCL.
With the addition of these aerated silicas
(Aerosil, Cab-O-Sil, and Vetrasil) one can
achieve whatever transparency one wants, from
glass clear to dense by mixing with fillers
such as barium sulphate or flint powder and
adding pigments".
Epoxy resins mixed with aerated silicas
produce a dull glassy appearance.
Aerated silica is absolutely essential
when copying ivory, horn, amber, coloured
glass, bone etc.
Finely ground flint powder of the type that
is used as abrasive in some scouring powders
is particularly useful ,when copying flint
antiques.
It is impossible to give instructions of
how much filler to add to the casting resin
to achieve a particular tone and density; the
r ~ w materials vary very much from supplier to
supplier. Therefore one must make tests to
find the fillers most suited to a particular
job.
Examples of mineral fillers:
Aerated silica, quartz flour, flint powder,
talcum, plaster of Paris, sand, ground up
glass, cement, kaolin, moler, porcelain powder,
mica dust, volcanic ash, graphite etc.
Examples of metal fillers:
Iron powder, bronze powder, aluminium powJer,
zinc powder etc.
31
Dry pigments
Araldite
colours
Tempera/
gouache
All large artist suppliers stock dry. pigments.
Earth pigments, black and white are the most
suitable. The following list shows which
colours are necessary.
Reds burnt sienna, cadium red, caput
mortuum, crimson lake,
Yellows'
Greens
Blues
Browns
Black
White
iron oxide.
yellow ochre light, yellow ochre,
raw sienna, cadium yellow, cadium
orange.
Guignet's green/viridian, verdigris,
terre-verte.
ultramarine deep, ultramarine French,
cobalt blue, Prussian blue.
burnt umber, raw umber, Kassler brown.
lamp black, ivory black.
titanium white.
Araldite colours are excellent for colouring
epoxy resin, the colours are very finely
dispersed and are supplied in tubes and tins
from Ciba-Geigy. Essential colours are:
Red DW 0113
Yellow: DW 0112
Green DW 0114
Blue DW 0115
Brown DW 0116
Black DW 0117
White DW 0118
Tempera and gouache paints are most suitable
for retouching and it is this that gives the
object depth. Often extremely little painting
is required,. otherwise the surface will be
deadened.
The colours which are necessary are:
Reds :burnt sienna, iron oxide
32
Metal
Yellows:yellow ochre light, yellow ochre,
raw sienna
Greens :Guignet's green/viridian, terre-verte
Blue : ultramarine, Prussian blue
Brown :burnt amber, raw amber, Kassler brown
Black :lamp black
White : titanium white
In many cases one can simulate a small
metallic object by brushing very fine metal
powder on the silicone rubber mould before
casting and just retouching afterwards. But
larger noble metal objects should be copied
either by electrotyping or centrifugal casting
from a wax model.
Suitable metal powders are sterling silver
powder, bronze powder in many nuances, alumi-
nium powder, graphite powder etc.
33
Release agents
Release agents
A release agent should be used between each
piece of a piece-mould. The criteria for a
good release agent is that it insulates
perfectly with the thinnest possible layer.
For silicone rubber Ciba-Geigy recommends
QZ 11 B release agent, it is made of micro-
crystalline wax in trichloroethane. The
release agent is brushed on the surface requi-
ring insulation. Never,use a silicone based
release agent when making a silicone rubber
mould; when the silicone oil in the release
agent contacts the rubber, instead of being
hard it becomes a sticky mass.
Other release agents for silicone rubber
are 2% beeswax in xylene, nitrocellulose
lacquer and 2% microcrystalline wax in
toluene.
Plaster support casings of a piece-mould should
first be lacquered with shellac in industrial
methylated spirits and thereafter with a
release agent. QZ 11 B can be used on plaster
but a greasier release agent is often necessary
such as rapeseed oil and tallow.
Ciba-Geigy's QZ 11 B relBase agent can be
used between the indivudual pieces of epoxy
resin support casing.
Epoxy
Work hygiene
All chemicals, including epoxies, polyesters
and acrylates, require certain safety regula-
tions which must be respected.
When working with epoxy resins the following
safety regulations must be followed to avoid
skin irritation and perhaps allergy:
The work must be carried out in a well
ventilated room with extFaction facilities
which can remove the vapours of both the resin
and hardener. Face masks are recommended
when a large casting job is being carried out
in a small room. Epoxy resins should be
stored below eye level.
Before starting work a barrier skin cream
(e.g. Stokolan from Stockhausen or Kerodex
from ArSiMa) should be rUbbed into hands and
lower arms, and perhaps used together with
rubber or latex gloves.
It is important that tools and work
benches
are kept clean. If one works on a sheet of
blotting paper one can easily see if anything
has been spilt and so change the paper.
One should ensure thorough personal hygiene
Clnd protection. Safety goggles are recon@ended
35
Polyester
when working with acids and these catalysts.
Avoid touching your face. Smoking should be
avoided as far as possible, not only because
of the danger of fire - epoxy .resins contain
solvents, but also to reduce the risk of
touching one's face and inhaling the solvent
vapours.
Hands should always be washed thoroughly
before eating and visiting the toilet.
Do not use solvents such as acetone to
remove epoxy resin from one's skin, this only
dilutes the epoxy enabling it to penetrate
deeper into the pores of the skin and also
removes the natural oils. Instead use lots
of soap and water. Keroclense 22 from ArSiMa
can facilitate cleaning, - rub it into hands
and then wash off with soap and water. Use
a handcream afterwards such as Stokolan from
Stockhausen.
In the case of an accident with epoxy resin
or hardener:
1. On clothes: change as soon as possible into
clean clothes .
2. On skin
3. In eyes
. wash with cleanser, soap and
water as soon as possible.
rinse with running
water, and get to an opthalmo-
logist or doctor as soon as
possible.
Polyester resins, monomers (e.g.styrene),
catalysts and most solvents including the
accelerator solvent are inflammable. Smoking
and the use of naked flames must be avoided
near these materials.
Skin, mucous membranes, nasal passages and
eyes can be irritated by the styrene vapour
- use face mask.
The barrier skin cream - Arretil from
36
Peroxide
Silicone
rubber
Stockhausen is recommended.
Otherwise the same safety regulations and
precautions as for epoxy resins should be
followed. But:
The peroxides which are used as polyester
catalysts are very dangerous, strong oxidising
agents, highly active and very inflammable.
Under no circumstances should they come into
direct contact with heavy metals, heavy
metallic salts, alkaline materials or accele-
rators (cobalt naphtenate) which could cause
an explosion.
Smoking should be avoided when handling
organic peroxides and safety goggles worn. If
however peroxide gets into eyes they should
be rinsed immediately with 2% sodium bicar-
bonate solution for 15 minutes and then an
eye doctor consulted. Cauterisation of the
skin with peroxide should be treated with a
30% alcohol solution or a 5% soda solution.
Silicone rubber is not so dangerous, but
the silicone plastomers are hardened with
peroxides. These are however supplied with
additives which minimise the risks. Always
use disposable PVC pipettes to dispose the
required amount of catalyst. Otherwise the
silicone rubber catalysts should be handled
as described above for
37
Moulding
Before commencing on a moulding project, the
surface of the object should be carefully
studied under a microscope to see if it is
able to withstand the process. It there is
the slightest doubt, the job should not be
attempted. If the object is suitable for
moulding, the surface should be studied in
detail and any cracks or large undercuts should
be filled up with wax or modelling wax (Plasti-
cine). The surface must be free of dust and
dirt. In some cases it is necessary to
protect or seal the surface before moulding.
Silicone rubber contains an oil which can
alter the appearance of porous surfaces. In
such cases the surface can be sealed with a
very thin coat of laquer, for example methyl-
cellulose or nitrocellulose.
Avoid moulding any museum objects that are
required for c
14
dating or analysis by other
means, silicone remnants could influence the
results.
In the main the object's composition and
external geometry ciecide which moulding method
and type of s j li COT.e rubber is be:i t sui ted for
the work.
38
Mixing of
silicone rubber
Catalyst
Principally there are three ways of making
silicone rubber moulds:
1.Simple one-piece mould
2.0ne-piece open-sided mould
3.Closed piece-mould (two or more pieces)
It is often necessary to make epoxy resin
support casing for all three mould types.
The function of a support casing is to hold
the flexible silicone rubber mould or mould
pieces in place during casting.
Regardless of which moulding method is
chosen the work should be carried out as
carefully and precisely as possible.
All silicone rubbers (with the exception of
the paste rubber type) have fillers added
which tend to settle out. Therefore it is
necessary to stir the rubber thoroughly, but
carefully, for several minutes until the
consistency is homogeneous. Weigh out the
quantity of rubber required for the mould
into a waxed paper cup. Note the weight of
the rubber, then using a pipette add the re-
quired quantity of catalyst (see table on
page 17 for % catalyst or technical information
from firm). It is important to add the
correct percentage of catalyst. Mix the two
components thoroughly but carefully for a
couple of minutes using a beech wood tongue
spatula. The silicone rubber should then be
allowed to stand for a couple of minutes to
allow the worst of the air bubbles to escape,
then it is ready for use. Air bubbles could
also be evacuated from the rubber under
vacuum, in which case the paper cup should only
be filled a third to allow for the expansion
during the extraction of the air.
'fhe above description is for mixing rubbers
39
Repair of
moulds
of low viscosi ty. When a more thixo.tropic
rubber is re9uired such as Wacker RTV-M 533
and Wacker RTV-M 539, it is best to begin with
539 and gradually add the paste-like 533 until
the required consistency is obtained. The
catalyst is added afterwards. The mixture of
the above rubbers produces a very strong,
flexible and durable mould.
The thin liquid rubber types for example
Silastic 9161 can be made thicker by the
addition of aerated silica or talcum and
inc'reasing the catalyst from 2% to 5%, but
this markedly reduces the rubber's mechanical
strength. Such thick rubbers can either be
poured over the object or applied with a brush
or spatula.
In order to avoid air bubbles on the surface
of the mould it is best to apply the silicone
rubber in two phases. First carefully paint
a thin layer of silicone rubber onto the object,
and allow it to harden for an hour. Then pour,
brush or spoon on a new portion of rubber onto
the object to the r e q u ~ r e d thickness. Allow the
mould to harden.
Silicone rubber begins to harden as soon as
the two components are brought together. The
mould hardens within 24 hours at room tempera-
ture, but the reaction is fully completed after
72 hours. Although the mould can be used after
24 hours it is recommended that it is first
baked in a ventilated oven (see section on
Moulding materials) and a couple of wax casts
taken in the mould before use.
Larger silicone rubber moulds can be rein-
forced with glass fibre matting or gauze.
A tear in the mould can be lepaired by first
cutting around the tear witi a scalpal and the:!
rinsing with acetone. The, i)jPct is then placed
40
in the mould and the missing area filled with
the same silicone rubber type as used originally.
Simple one-piece The easiest mould to make is a simple one-piece
moulds mould for which a liquid rubber is best suited.
The object is held in position with a drop of
wax or a little modelling wax onto a piece
glass, which has been coated with a release
agent (QZ 11 B). Make an enclosing wall to
put around the object, 1-2 cms higher than the
object. Lego building bricks are excellent for
this, but otherwise wood, cardboard, modelling
wax or aluminium foil can be used. Lego
building bricks are quick to work with, easily
adjusted to the object's size and can be used
again. The object is then painted with a thin
layer of rubber and the enclosing wall placed
around the object and held in position to the
glass with lumps of modelling wax. Then the
mixed silicone rubber is slowly poured into
the space between the wall and the object (not
directly on the object) until the object is
covered. Then allow to harden. Once hard the
enclosing wall is removed, the mould peeled
back slightly and the object removed from the
mould.
Fig. 9.

Object
Simple one-piece mould
Lego bricks
Modelling

Glass
41
One-piece open-
sided moulds
support casing
Silicone rubber
Object
Plinth
Reliefs, larger areas etc. can be moulded in
one-piece open-sided moulds with support
casings of plaster of Paris or epoxy resin rein-
forced with glass fibre matting.
Fig. 10. One-piece mould
The object is mounted on a modelling wax
plinth onto a piece of glass or wood which
has been treated with a release agent. The
plinth should be placed about 5 mm in under
the object's outer edge so that this is
moulded too. The plinth must be completely
flush with the glass/wood base so that it is
impossible for the rubber to run in under the
object. Paint the surface with a
thin layer of Wacker RTV-M 533 and allow it
to harden for an hour. Then apply a thicker
layer of silicone rubber with a brush or a
spatula (a or Wacker RTV-M 533 and
Wacker RTV-539 mixed to a consistency which
can hold itself). The rubber layer should be
about 1 cm thick, if necessary built up in
several layers.
Large undercuts should be filled up with
silicone rubber and the whole surface smoothed
over, so that the support casing will easily
release from the rubber mould. At the base
draw the rubber out a couple of centimeters
over the glass/wood with a so that
there i:3 a rim in whic;::h, when ,the rubber is
42
Fig. 11.
hard, dovetails can be cut (see fig. 11).
These dovetails ensure the precise positioning
of the support casing .
. The support casing is made in one, or several
pieces depending on the external shape of the
silicone rubber mould.
Fig. 12a. Shows a one-piece open-sided mould
with a plaster piece-mould
casing of a marble relief
Valdemar Atterdag's sarcophagus
43
Fig. l2b. Epoxy resin copy cast in a one-piece
open-sided mould
44
Piece-moUlds
All Objects can be Cast in a Piece-moUld,
prOViding the undercuts are not too complicated.
The Object must be studied carefully to See
how many Pieces the mould should have and
where the jOint lines between the Pieces should
be POSitioned.
Pig. 13. TWO-Piece mould With an epOxy resin
support Casing of a Greenlandic
blubber lamp.
Pig. 14. TWO-Piece mould r e a ~ for casting
15
G H
Fig. 15. Principle stages of a piece-mould
Fig. 15 illustrates the principles of making
a two-piece mould of silicone rubber with an
epoxy resin support casing. The object is a
bronze cup. A: The shape of the cup requires
a two-piece mould, the joint line between the
46
two mould pieces is along the cup's outer r i ~ .
First a strip of modelling wax is shaped around
the outer rim of the cup (horizontal lines).
This strip must be at least two centimeters wide.
~ i t h wire turning tools cut out a canal in ,the
modelling wax 3-4 mm from the edge of the cup.
Apply a layer of a suitable silicone rubber,
which, in this instance should be a thick
rubber paste. When the rubber has hardened,
tidy the edge and cut a number of dovetails
in the rubber (Fig. 16). Then place four keys
made of modelling wax (as shown in Fig.17)
onto the modelling wax. strip.
Fig. 16. Dovetails
[J
Fig. 17. Keys
B: Now apply the first support casing (dia-
gonal lines). Filler should be added to the
47
Fig. 18.
Fig. 19.
epoxy resin so that it does not flow.
C: When the support casing has hardened,
turn Fhe cup over, carefully remove the
modelling wax, cleansing any remnants with
toluene. At the same time make a runner of
modelling wax and fix it to the base of the
cup. The runner acts as a casting funnel and
overflow tube. The exposed silicone rubber is
coated with a release agent and the outer
silicone rubber mould made. The rubber should
be modelled up around the runner with a spatula.
When the rubber has hardened the edge is tidied
and dovetails cut as in (A).
Finally the outer support casing is made (E).
Remember to apply release agent thoroughly_ On
the edge of the inner support casing place
several small blocks of modelling wax (fig.18)
to facilitate the later separating of the
mould. The blocks should be about 1 x 5 x 5 mm.
Then apply the outer support casing. Once hard,
push a screw driver in between the two pieces
where the modelling wax blocks were p l a c e d ~
and carefully prize apart (fig.19). Now
remove the original and the mould is ready for
casting (F). (G) shows a cast with the stump
of excess casting material at.tached. The stump
is removed and the copy is finished (H).
48
Fig. 20.
Five-piece mould of a mounted figure
Fig. 21. Five-piece mould
Figs. 20 and 21 show a five-piece mould with
an epoxy resin support casing
r-tetal casting
moulds
Fig. 22. Five-piece mould being filled with a
syringe through a runner in the horse's
leg. The mould ,is held together with a
strong elastic strip
Moulds for metal alloy casts can be made of
all the above mentioned,silicone rubber types.
It is an advantage if the mould for metal casts
is as thin as possible and placed on a warm
base, e.g. copper sheet so that the mould is
strained as little as possible during casting.
Prior to casting the inside of the mould should
be dusted with graphite and the mould heated to
the temperature of the melted alloy which should
not be over 300C. The first metal cast will
be use10ss, in that the gases expelled cause
the c a s ~ to be full of bubbles. The fifth or
s i ~ t h C 1st is usually perfect.
"1
Wax casting
moulds
Small precious metal copies are most often made
by centrifugal casting. For this a wax cast
made in a silicone rubber mould is necessary.
Such a mould should not be too flexible as the
molten wax is injected into the mould under
high pressure. Wax casting moulds must be
keyed and have a runner closely fitting the
nozzle of the syringe. Figures 23 and 24 show
a wax casting mould. Wacker RTV-M 426 was used
as moulding material. The mould is clamped
between two perspex sheets during casting.
Fig. 23. Wax casting mould
51
Fig. 24. Wax casting mould
52
Primary
colouring
Casting and colouring
The casting of copies can be done in different
ways, the colour of the original and the shape
of the silicone rubber mould are often two
deciding factors in the method used.
Some casting can be done wi,th a pouring
epoxy resin, others need a thick resin which
is brushed on and some must be filled by
injection.
The epoxy resin is mixed to the consistency,
transparency and colour required by adding
fillers and pigments. Credible copies are
made by control of the interplay between the
mould, the colouring process, the viscosity
and transparency of the resin and the final
retouching. The colouring is often best
achieved in three stages.
I.Primary colouring is the colouring of the sili-
cone rubber mould before casting with epoxy
resin. It is at this stage that all the fine
nuances are achieved e.g. copying the yellow
patina on ivory. Dry pigments are usedfoi this
and careful mixing is necessary to achieve the
correct nuances. The pigments a r ( ~ applied
direct onto the rubber mould using a dry
53
Colouring of
casting
material
Retouching
squirrel or sable haired paint brush, they
adhere to the surface of the mould without the
help of any medium.
2.Stage two is the colouring of the epoxy resin
with dry pigments or special Araldite colours.
When dry pigments are used it is best to mix
them on a palette with a little resin before
adding it to the casting material. Avoid
lumps of pigments in the resin. Araldite
colours are very finely dispersed and mix
easily with the resin.
All the colouring details should be planned
in advance because there is a limited time
(30-45 mins) before the epoxy begins to
harden. Copying an object which varies in
colour and transparency e.g. flint axe
demands some dexterity. In which case it is
perhaps best to mix a middle tone then
divide it up on the palette and colour it
further to the different nuances that are
necessary. The colours can be mixed on the
palette and applied to the rubber mould with
a sable-haired paint brush; the resin should
be of a slightly thicker consistency.
3.The last stage is the retouching. Tempera.
and gouache paints in tubes are very suitable
(Talens and Windsor & Newton). These paints
can also be used together with finely ground
dry pigments. The colour of the copies should,
after stage one and two, be so close to the
original that retouching is minimal. Very
little colouring is necessary before the
surface appears lifeless. The replicas should
not look painted. Tempera and gouache paints
should be mixed with wa ter to wh i ch .1 s adr :ed
a brush tip of detergent. Squirrel-md ~ ; lble-
haired paint brushes are sui table for retl 1 uch-
ing.
S4
Guilding
Guilding is done with gold leaf. Th areas
to be gilded are painted with a very thin
layer of liquid epoxy resin and allowed to
harden for an hour, then the gold leaf is
carefully positioned. The gold can be bur-
nished with a polishing agate. If the gold
areas are well defined or intrigate it might
be advantageous to cover the surrounding
area with rubber latex or a thin layer of
Wacker RTV-M 533 silicone rubber, which can be
removed after gilding. Electrotypes are
gilded or silverplated electrolytically.
55
Examples
These lecture notes are based in the main on
the experience gained when making 30 sets of
replicas of characteristic equipment, jewelry
and other objects from Greenland's prehistory
for the Greenland School Service. Each set
of replicas consisted of five show cases
which were packed in a solid transport crate.
Each case contained 148 replicas. The work
,
was done at the Department of Archaeological
Conservation, the National Museum, Copenhagen
over a period of ten months, 1977-78.
This project demanded much of the materials
used and was an excellent opportunity to try
various new moulding and casting materials
and techniques. The following illustrations
were taken during the work on this project.
" "
Fig. 25. A selection of originals showing the
different objects and materials to
be copied
Fig. 26. I, fter a series of experiments it was
( : - ~ ~ c i ded to make one- [)iece open-sided
Ii )ulds. Here a plinth is being made
.::1 modelling wa:.: on the underside of
t :e object
Fig. 27. Silicone rubber is poured over the
objects. In this project it was
necessary and expedient to make at
least seven moulds for each object
p'
. 19.
28. The original is removed from the
mould by slight peeling back
58
1
1
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
.J
I
,
I
1
I
Fig. 29. The silicone rubber moulds are baked
overnight in a ventilated oven before
casting with epoxy resin
Fig. 30. Primary co Iou ring of the mOll id wi th
dry pigments. The are mixed
and unmixed c3rth pigments stored
in ic be :-:es
59
Fig. 31. Weighing of the two component
Araldite M epoxy resin and the harde-
ner HY 956 on a balance weighing
machine
Fig. 32. Different fillers are added to the
weighed epoxy resin depending on the
appearence required of the original
. \
6c
Fig. 3 3 ~ Epoxy resin is coloured with dry
pigments. On the palette, at the top
of the picture the resin and pigments
are mixed together
Fig. 34. The epoxy resin is poured into the
primary coloured moulds. On the right
are the pigments and Araldite colours
61
Fig. 35. After 24 hours hardening, the copies
are removed from the moulds and the
moulds are again baked overnight
Fig. 36. A series of "raw" copies of an ulu
(woman's knife). The copies were made
in t00 stages, first the knife blade
and then the handle
Fig. 37. Retouching/patination. Uppermost in
the picture are the "raw" copies, in
the middle the excess colours are
rubbed off, and at the bottom the
finished copies can be seen. Tempera
and dry pigments were used here
Fig. 38. Retouching/patination
63
Fig. 39. A selection of finished copies
64
Fig. 40. Two copies of a Roman statuette cast
in a piece mould, one in epoxy resin,
the other in plaster of Paris. Student
work, the School of Conservation,
Copenhagen
65
Electrotyping
Besides being a very precise copying method,
electrotyping is very suitable for restoration
work and straightening out deformed metal
objects. The straightening out is done on the
copy, the original is not touched.
Fig. 41. Electrotype copy of an outer section
of the Gundestrup bowl
The right-hand electrotype (fig. 41) has had
all the dents pushed out using pressure tools
and bur tools. The left-hand electro-
type shnws how it was before. The straightening
out was all done from the back so that all the
tool ma:-ks are preserved.
The fir t step in making an electrotype is to
make ailicone rubber mould from the original.
The sur ace of the mould is made conductive
by thepplication. of bronze or silver powder.
A s to the conductive surface and
the:: I:lOU::' i>, as the cathode in an
Centrifugal
casting
electrolyte of copper sulphate and sulphuric
acid. The anode is pure copper. The anode and
cathode are connected up to a steady low
electrical current. Copper is deposited over
the surface of the mould and all the details
are precisely reproduced.
Fig. 42 shows the processes involved in produ-
cing a silver replica using centrifugal casting.
The original is moulded in silicone rubber and
an electrotype is made in it. The electrotype
is used to make a new mould of hot vulcanising
rubber under high pressure. A wax model is then
taken and a runner mounted, and the whole encased
in casting plaster ready for centrifugal casting.
The plaster mould is heated up so that the wax
melts and pours out leaving a cavity in which
silver is cast.
A. Mould for electrotypinS
B. Electrotype - uncut
67
c. Wax model
D. Raw silver copy
E. Finished copy
Fig. 43. Silver copy of Urnes brooch
68
Restoration
A damaged frame can be restored by moulding a
section which is identical to the missing area,
making a plaster cast and fitting the pieces
into place.
Fig. 44. A section of the frame profile
isolated with a wall of modelling
wax. A thin layer of silicone rub-
ber was then applied
Fig. 45. A thicker layer of paste silicone
rubber was upplied 2nd allowed to
harden completely
69
Fig. 46. Over the hardened rubber mould a support
casing of plaster of Paris was made
Fig. 47. The mould is ready for casting with
plaster of Paris. When hard it was
fashioned to fit the fragments . ~ n a
adhered in place
7e
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

Fig. 48. The restored frame is ready for gilding.
Student work, The School of Conserva-
tiOL, Copenhagen
7 ' .1.
Literature list
Eri, Istvan
Ersfe1d, H.J.
Problems of the Completion of
Art Objects.
Insti tute of Conse'rvation and
Methodology of Museums.
Budapest, 1979
Funde der Vorzeit.
Herman Bohlaus Nachfolger.
Weimar 1955
Killingstad, A.: Plastteknikk.
Teknologisk Forlag.
Oslo 1973
Larney, J. Restoring Ceramics.
Barrie and Jenkins Ltd.
London, 1975
Larsen,E.Benner: Galvanoplastik.
Moye, A1bert
Konservatorsko1en.
Kt,tlbenhavn 1977
Die Gewinnung und Vervendung
des Gipses.
Max Janecke, Verlag
Hannover 1908
72
Moye, Albert Oas Gipsformen
Verlag der Tonindustrie-Zeitung
Berlin 1911
Muhlethaler, B.: Bei der Erhaltung von Alter-
tUmern.
Ciba-Geigy.
ZUrich
Petermann, R. Nachbi1dung Antiker G1aser.
Arbeitsb1atter, Heft I, Gruppe 18
r1ainz 1969
Vieweg, Richard: Kunststoff-Handbuch
Band ,XI
Ro1f
Technical
information
"'
Car1 Hauser Verlag
MUnchen 1971
P1astogen EP
Arbeitsblatter, Heft.2.
Gruppe 18
Frier 1973
Ciba-Geigy, Araldite
Wacker, Silicone rubber
Dow Silicone rubber
73
Suppliers list
ACETATE FILM
ARALDITE RESINS
BRONZE POWDER
PLASTER OF PARIS
PLASTICINE
:Lyma Ltd
195 High Street
Egham
Surrey
. Tel:07843-4722
:Ciba-Geigy Ltd
Plastics Division
Duxford
.
Cambridge CB2 4DA
Tel:0223-832121
:Alec Tiranti
Sculptors tools,rnaterials
21 Goodge Place
TONGUE DEPRESSORS London Wl
TIRANTI SCOPAS METAL Tel:ol-636-8565
FILLERS
MODELLING TOOLS
DRY PIGMENTS
TEMPERA & GOUACHE
PAINTS
ERCALENE
:Winsor & Newton Ltd
51 Rathbone Place
London \ ~ l
Tel:ol-636-4231
:W Canning and Co Ltd
Great J:ampton Street
Binninc:haIrl 18
Tel:02J-236-8621
74
FILES :Buck & Ryan Ltd
Tools, Cutlery,Ironrnongery
101 Tottenham Court Road
London Wl .
Tel:ol-636-7475
FLINT-water ground, :Ferro (GB) Ltd
TALC and other Wombourne
fillers
GOLD LEAF
" ~ .
GRAPHITE
KERODEX
MASKS (dust)
PALATAL P4FL
Wolverhampton WV5 8DA
Tel:09077-4144
:Hopkin & Williams Ltd
PO Box 1
RPm.;ford.'..... ;'.;.;. .._.
.. EssexRM1 i ~ ~ ~ . >
Tel:ol-590-7700
:Hopkin & Williams Ltd,
as above,
or
BDH Chemicals Ltd
Baird Road
Enfield
Middlesex ENl ISH
Te1:,01-805-1144
:Barrier cream and
Keroc1eanse
Kerodex Ltd
1:nnoxa House
436 Essex Road
London NI
Te1:ol-226-8021
01-226-6601
,'.:' .
:Martinda1e Protection Ltd
Neasden Lane
London NW10
Te1:01-450-856I
:BASF UK Ltd
2 Fitzroy Street
London Wl
Tel:ol-637-8971
75
PLASTOGEN EP
PLASTOGEN G
REVOLTEXI
SANTOCEL
SILASTIC 9161
SILICONE RUBBERS
TECHNOVIT 4004a
:H Weidmann Ltd
Rapperswil
St Gall
Switzerland
Tel:Rapperswil 055/21651
:Frank Joel Ltd
PO Box 6
Downham Market
Norfolk PE38 9ED
Tel:03663-8717
:Revertex Sales Itd
71 St Mary Annex
London EC3
Tel:ol-283-32Sl
:Monsanto Ltd
Monsanto House
10 Victoria Street
London SWl
Tel:ol-222-S678
:Dow Corning-ltd
Reading Bridge House
Reading
Berkshire
Tel:0734-5725l
: Wacker C remicals Ltd
Warwick House
27-31 St Mary's Road
Ealing
London W5 SPR
Tel:01-579-9274
01-579-9433
:Rubert & Co Ltd
Demmings Road
Cheadle
Cheshire
Tel:061-428-5855
76