Timber chair

Matthew Scott <matthews [at] ho__hht__nsw__gov__au> writes

>Can anyone recommend non-invasive methods for the investigation of a
>upholstered timber chair?

You can of course x-ray the chair from different angles to get an
image of structural elements that were covered over in the later
upholstery application.

It may also be possible to insert a long needle through the
upholstery outback fabric (if it is not too tight a weave or not in
too fragile a condition) and probe around for inner structural
elements.

Many times, it is also possible to safely remove just enough
upholstery tacks to peel back a corner of the upholstery layers and
view interior upholstery elements. Fine, "diagonal" cutting
pliers/nippers designed for electronics work do a remarkable job at
removing upholstery tacks.

Robert Mussey
Robert Mussey Associates


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:6
                  Distributed: Tuesday, July 16, 2002
                        Message Id: cdl-16-6-001
                                  ***