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

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One <strong>of</strong> the targeted areas I pursued at The Royal Collection was selective varnish removal techniques. Throughout
time <strong>and</strong> up until two or three decades ago, many objects in the Royal Collection had been treated with overcoats <strong>of</strong>
inappropriate clear coatings <strong>and</strong> materials to update them or revive a deteriorating surface. Sometimes a modern
finish was used to make the object less susceptible to damage <strong>and</strong> thus more user <strong>and</strong> maintenance friendly.
Functional furniture <strong>of</strong>ten receives such treatment no matter where it is. Dozens <strong>of</strong> examples exist in Australian
State <strong>and</strong> National collections.
Where there has been an expectation that objects are to be used whilst retaining a rich, exuberant aesthetic, there
has been excuse to intervene with objects with a heavy h<strong>and</strong>. The previous techniques <strong>and</strong> materials used in these
processes normally involved stripping <strong>and</strong> replacing original coatings with estapol or spray finishes, adhesives such
as epoxy <strong>and</strong> polyvinyl acetates (PVA) were also used extensively. Not only do these additional modern materials
change the objects aesthetics <strong>and</strong> degrade its integrity, but it very difficult to reverse <strong>and</strong> undo the damage caused
as a result <strong>of</strong> these. In my private practice, I would estimate that up to 70% <strong>of</strong> work involves undoing the work <strong>of</strong>
others.
The other subject most relevant to my investigations is the decision process that occurs after these objects have had
their inappropriate materials selectively removed. The dilemma <strong>of</strong> choosing a new clear coating for an object
intended for functional use is complex. Importantly our choice is made by selecting a finish with the correct historical
aesthetic for the object, (same refraction, look <strong>and</strong> feel). A functional object must also be resilient to day-to-day
wear <strong>and</strong> tear, but must still retain the ability to be reversed <strong>and</strong> repaired with ease <strong>and</strong> without affecting the objects
integrity.
Pedestal from Brighton Pavilion.
Over painted at least once.
Originally paionted in lead white
with applied deoration <strong>and</strong> gilding
Diagram after analysis by Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM). Discovered the pedestal has
been overpainted at least twice. Once between
the world war, again in the 1950’s with house
paint
Removing over paints both
mechanically <strong>and</strong> with solvenmts to
expose original layers