Marble plaque

Debra-Kay Palmer <debbiepal99 [at] yahoo__co__uk> writes

>I am a Conservation Officer treating a marble plaque, which has lead
>used to fill in the space of the letters. However, some of the
>letters have fallen out and I'm not sure what can be used to replace
>these lead letters. Does anyone have any suggestions about what
>could be used, something that could also survive daily exposure to
>the sun.

If the project were mine, I think I would take impressions of the
missing letters with clay or silicone rubber and makes plaster molds
for each one. Then make epoxy casts to match the missing lead
letters.  There are aluminum-filled epoxies that imitate lead very
well, and can be tinted with pigments also. The casts can be sanded
or cut to fit the best.  Then insert the epoxy letters using a
reversible adhesive.  This would only work if the plaque were not
exposed to rainwater or rising damp/freezing etc.  You mentioned
sun, but bulked and tinted epoxy should last well in the sun, I
think.  I could mention specific products, but they would probably
be hard to find under those names.  Good luck,

Linda Roundhill
Art and Antiquities Conservation, L.L.C.
Woodinville, WA
USA


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 20:38
                Distributed: Wednesday, February 7, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-20-38-004
                                  ***