Conservation and Restoration of Clear Coatings on Furniture and ...

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The main impact on furniture conservators comes from the need to present themselves as pr<strong>of</strong>essionals equal to
those conservators working in other mediums. When working in collaboration with conservators from other fields,
furniture conservators need to be up to speed so they can discuss pr<strong>of</strong>essional problems <strong>and</strong> expected outcomes.
Due to the small number <strong>of</strong> (a h<strong>and</strong>ful) <strong>of</strong> furniture conservators practising at a pr<strong>of</strong>essional level in Australia, they
tend to cover much ground <strong>and</strong> are exposed to a widely varied medium from 16th – 21st century objects from diverse
cultural origins. Combined with the practical skills <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>iciently executing serval historically based trades/arts,
underst<strong>and</strong>ing materials both ancient <strong>and</strong> new, <strong>and</strong> also being able to identify <strong>and</strong> implement modern chemical
treatments, the work loads <strong>and</strong> mental capacity are <strong>of</strong>ten stretched. The situation abroad is now to individually
specialise in areas <strong>of</strong> period, culture, material, style, etc; this is simply not possible within Australia.
2.6 Aim <strong>of</strong> the Fellowship
The aim <strong>of</strong> my fellowship is to seek out experts specialising in the conservation <strong>and</strong> preservation <strong>of</strong> clear coatings on
furniture <strong>and</strong> interior timbers. This is an area which has evolved from other fields <strong>of</strong> conservation where clear
coatings have been used, i.e.: varnishes on oil paintings. Techniques have been researched <strong>and</strong> explored abroad,
but as they have only recently crossed over to the conservation <strong>of</strong> furniture, these techniques are still being
developed specifically for problems <strong>and</strong> materials encounter in the conservation <strong>of</strong> furniture finishes.
<strong>Clear</strong> coatings on paintings <strong>and</strong> static visual works <strong>of</strong> art normally act to enhance <strong>and</strong> protect the object, whereas
finishes on furniture perform several practical functions, including the enhancement <strong>of</strong> the natural timber. Though a
much higher priority is placed on protecting the surfaces from abrasion, spills <strong>and</strong> to minimise dimensional change in
timbers reacting to changes in relative humidity (RH). The functional use <strong>of</strong> furniture <strong>and</strong> the exposure <strong>of</strong> finishes to
physical contact creates many different parameters. The additional complications <strong>of</strong> previous maintenance regimes
or restoration attempts need to be considered in devising conservation treatments for finishes on furniture or interior
timbers. Not only do they have to be preserved, look aesthetically pleasing, but they also need to be sound <strong>and</strong> fit
for their intended purpose if future operation is determined.
The commercial approach to clear coatings has been to strip <strong>and</strong> refinish. This naïve approach has contributed to
the loss <strong>of</strong> heritage/historical/financial value <strong>of</strong> many nationally important collections. Conservators <strong>and</strong> responsible
restorers attempt to preserve all original fabric, the finish being <strong>of</strong> paramount importance as it is <strong>of</strong>ten deposited on
these surfaces, the materials which identify much about the furniture’s past. This is not to say that finishes are never
removed, altered or added to in the conservation process, but as a rule, minium intervention is the generally
accepted approach.