Synthetic Fill Materials for Skin, Leather, and Furs

Author(s): Linda Nieuwenhuizen

Source: Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, Vol. 37, No. 1, (Spring, 1998), pp.
135-145
Published by: The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3179916
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 SYNTHETIC FILL MATERIALS FOR SKIN,
LEATHER, AND FURS
LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN
ABSTRACT-This article describessome synthetic
fill materialsfor use with processed and minimally
processed skins and furs.The applicationsoutlined
illustratethe productionof versatileandflexiblefillsin
stableskinsand leatherproductswith losses.All repairs
havebeen made on artifactsthat were in good condi-
tion but visuallydisruptedby lossesin the skin,leather,
or fur. The first two applicationsare based on the
searchfor a bulkedflexibleresinor resinmixturethat
can be easilyused and manipulatedto form a cohesive
fill.The thirdexampleillustratesthe use of a synthetic
fabricfill for a naturalhistoryspecimenwith hair.
TITRE-Materiaux synthetiquespour le remplissage
de pertes sur les peaux, cuirs, et fourrures.
RESUME-Cet article decrit quelques materiaux
synthetiquesqui peuventetre utilis6spour la compen-
sationde pertessur des peaux et des fourrurestraitees
ou legerementtrait6es.Les exemplesdecritsmontrent
la productionde reparationssouples et flexiblespour
des objets stables.Toutes les reparationsont ete faites
sur des objets en bon etat mais dont les pertes sur la
peau,le cuir ou la fourrurederangeaientvisuellement.
Les deux premiersexemplessont basessurla recherche
d'une r6sine epaissie flexible ou d'un melange de
resine qui pourraitetre aisementutiliseset manipules
pour former une reparationcoh&rente.Le troisieme
exemple montre l'utilisationd'un produitde remplis-
sage de textile synthetiquesur un specimend'histoire
naturellepoilu.
TITULO-Materialessint&ticos parareponerfaltantes
en
piel, cuero y piel con pelo. RESUMEN-El articulo
describe algunos materialessinteticos para reponer
faltantesen piel y en pieles con pelo procesadasy
minimamente procesadas.Las aplicaciones que se
resefian ilustran la producci6n de materiales de
reposici6nversatilesy flexibles,paraser utilizadosen
pieles y productosde cuero establesy con faltantes.
Todaslas reparacionesfueron hechas en artefactosen
buenas condiciones pero visualmenteinterrumpidos
por los faltantes. Las primeras dos aplicaciones se
basanen la bisqueda de una resinao mezclade resinas
con cuerpo y flexibles, que puedan ser facilmente
utilizadas para formar un relleno con cuerpo y
cohesi6n. El tercer ejemplo ilustra el uso de una
tela sintetica utilizada para reponer un faltante un
especimen de historia naturalcon pelo.
1. INTRODUCTION
Skin, leather, and fur are materials abundantly
found in naturalhistory,ethnographic,historic, and
decorative arts collections. Leather is hide or skin
that has been chemically treated (tanned) to make
it imputrescible.The terms "hide"and "skin,"in the
leather industry,are used conventionally:the differ-
ence is one of size, weight, and thickness. Hide
usually refers to a large, heavy skin such as that
obtained from a buffalo,cow, or horse. Skin is sim-
ply a small hide or the skin of a small animal such
as a bird, rodent, or reptile. Fur is the hair projec-
tion of an animal. Skin products are proteinaceous
in their original chemical composition but have
been treatedin a variety of ways to obtain products
tailored to different uses as well as different physi-
cal characteristics,i.e., tanned, tooled, grained, or
waterproofed (Fogle and Raphael 1984).
A variety of conservation issues arise with
skin products, dealing with the protein chem-
istry, shrinkage temperature, tannage interfer-
ences, and other matters. Among the variety of
JAIC 37(1998): 135-45
 136 LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN

conservationissuesto be reviewedis the issue of * shrinkageof fill materialsfrom their original

gap-fillingwhen lossesoccur.The fill dependson intendedsize due to solventevaporation
such factorsas the compositionof the proteina- * unevenfill surfacedue to the natureof the fill
ceousmaterials, theirfinishingtreat-
theirtannages, material,shrinkageor dryingstressesas solvent
ments, the use of these materialsas artifacts,the evaporates,and/or separationof the bulking
environmentsin which they arehoused,and their agentfromthe carrier.
stateof deterioration.The aim of this articleis to All thesenegativeaspectsof fillmaterials for skin
provideinformationregardingsome repairtech- productscouldcontributeto the lossof physicaland
niquesand fill materialsfor skin and leatherthat aestheticcontinuity. Somearealsodeleteriousto the
haveprovenusefulfor a varietyof applications. skinto be conserved.In addition,it shouldbe noted
One shouldbe cautioned,however,to use the that degradedskin productsexhibit more severe
proposedfill materialsonly on stableskins and resultsthanthosein good condition.Hydrothermal
leather.Before consideringtreatment,an accurate stabilitytestingis of paramountimportancein order
assessment of the hydrothermalstability(shrinkage to assessartifactcondition.
temperature)of the collagenfibersof the artifact Generally, fillsin skinproductsareaccomplished
should be conducted(Young1990;Larsenet al. using a standardmethod:a backingis appliedto
1993).The followingsuggestionsfor fill materials bridge the area of loss when possible(Dignard
should not be used as a "cookbook"for leather 1992),and then a fill materialis insertedinto the
conservation. area of loss. Most commonly used materialsfor
Fills in skin productsmust fit the criteriaof backingsareinertfabricscoupledwith eitherresins,
appropriatestrength,stability,flexibility,adhesion, starches,or celluloseetherswith evaporativesol-
aging,appearance, andeasein identification. Com- vents,or resinsor systemsrequiringthe use of a
mon drawbacks of fillsin skinproductsarethe fol- heat-sealprocess.
lowing: Popularsuggestionsfor fill treatments for leather
* imperfectfit resultingfroman insert and skin have includeda varietyof standardand
* ensuing differencein flexibilitybetween the uncommonmaterials: otherskins,gelatin,wax,wax
originalmaterialandfill and rosin, white glue emulsions,polyurethane,
* retractionof the sidesof the originalskinfrom resins,andpastesmadeof resinsbulkedwith various
the shrinkageof the collagencausedby water materials, suchas collagenfibers,cellulosefibers,or
containedin an aqueousfill glassmicrospheres.
* changein shrinkagetemperatureof a severely The following materialshave been used by
deterioratedartifactoccurringfrom exposure the authorto produce versatileand flexible fills
to water from an aqueous adhesive(Young in skinsandleatherproducts.Thefirsttwo appli-
1990) cations are based on the search for a flexible
* change in shrinkagetemperatureoccurring resin or resin mixture that can be bulked and
from exposureto heat from the use of ther- easily used and manipulatedto form a cohesive
moplasticqualitiesof an adhesive.(It is gener- fill. The third example illustratesthe use of a
ally noted, however,that dry,undeteriorated synthetic fabric fill for a naturalhistory speci-
fibrouscollagenis consideredstableup to tem- men with hair.All exampleshavebeen made on
peraturesof 200?C,whereassaturated, deterio- skins,leather,and fur in good structuralcondi-
ratedcollagencan exhibit shrinkageat room tion but are visually disruptedby losses in the
temperature[Young1997]). skin,leather,or fur.The authorhas utilizedthese
* lackof reversibility fill materialson a variety of leathers and skins
* leachingof solubleskin materialsand subse- including20th-centuryAmericancommercially
quent stainingcausedby solventsused in the chrome-tanned leather and suede materials,
repair 18th-century Italian and French vegetable-

JAIC 37(1998): 135-145

 SYNTHETIC FILLMATERIALSFOR SKIN,LEATHER,AND FURS
tanned and tooled leathers, 20th-century
Ethiopian dyed leathers, 19th-century
unprocessed calfskin, and 20th-century Native
American brain-tanned artifacts. The examples
are a representative grouping of the proposed fill
applications on stable skins and leathers.
2. APPLICATIONS
2.1 BULKED BEVA 371 FILM
The materialsused for this repair are standardfor
conservation: polyester spun-bonded fabric (i.e.,
Reemay or Hollytex), BEVA 371 film, glassmicros-
pheres, and dry pigments. The only other items
needed are a heated spatula, texturing imple-
ments, and inpainting materials. BEVA gel
(O'Donnell 1996) and BEVA 371 (Kaminitz and
Levinson 1988;Jones 1996) have also been used in
similarapplications.Because of the solvent content
in these BEVA formulations, however, and the
shrinkage of the fill due to the evaporationof sol-
vent, BEVA 371 film is suggestedfor use.
Recipe
Ingredients:
15.0 x 15.0 cm piece of BEVA371 film
(3.5 mil thickness)
15 cc 3M K-15 glassmicrospheres
drypigments
Formixing,use a glassor metalcontaineranda
heatedspatulawith a smalltip.Forthe greatestdegree
of success,a G. EngelbrechtERSA heatedspatula
with a small infilling
spatulais suggested.
Wearinga particlemaskto avoidinhalationof
the microspheres, mix the BEVA371 film and glass
microspheres togetherwith the heatedspatula. The
meltingpointof BEVA371 filmis 65?C.
Mixing will be somewhatdifficultbecausethe
BEVA371 filmmustmeltin orderto incorporate the
microspheres. in
Mixing only 5 cc of at
microspheres
a timeis suggested. Afterthe microspheres areincor-
porated,adddrypigmentsto tone the fillmaterialto
the appropriatecolor.Mix the pigmentsinto the
BEVA371 film and microspheremixturewith the
heatedspatula.
137
When ready to use, simply scoop the fill materi-
al with the heated spatulaand apply it to the areaof
loss. Take care to limit the contact of the heated
spatulaonly to the areaof fill materialto avoid heat
damage to the original skin artifact.
Texture the fill while warm. The fill material
cools very quickly and will need to be warmed in
the areato be texturedin orderto properlyimprint.
Rough sandpaper and stencil brushes may be
rubbed onto the surface to mimic suede. A finer
sandpapermay be used to achieve a nubuck appear-
ance. Silicone-coated polyesterfilm may be used to
smooth a surface.Molds can be taken of adjacent
areas;the mold may then be pressedonto the fill sur-
face to achieve the desiredtexture or pattern (Larsen
1981).
To avoid the problem of dust adhering onto the
BEVA 371 fill,it is recommended to use a paint that
has a medium with a high glasstransitiontempera-
ture. A glass transition temperatureof BEVA 371
film cannot be given (Chludzinski 1997).The fill is
easilyreversedmechanically,orwith heat or petrole-
um benzine applied sparingly.
Figures 1 and 2 demonstrate the use of the fill
materialto conserve a damagedskin drum from the
Northwest Coast. This drum was manufactured
from a deerskin,which upon examinationappeared
to be minimally preparedby soaking,scraping, and
then stretching the skin. In this instance, there
Fig. 1. Northwest Coast drum before treatment
JAIC 37(1998): 135-45
 138 LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN
Fig. 2. Detail of the tearaftertreatment
were several tears and losses to the skin of the
drum that required stabilization and restoration.
In order to back the tears, pieces of a feathered-
edged spun bonded polyester fabric were
applied to the reverse of the drum with BEVA
371 film and a heated spatula.The spatula was set
on approximately 65?C. The fabric acts as a
backing to hold the tear in place and make a
platform for the fill. The BEVA 371 film-glass
microsphere-pigment mixture was then applied
to the loss area by scooping the fill material with
the infilling spatula tip. The fill was flattened
using the heated spatula and silicone-coated
polyester film. Light sanding followed to
decrease the amount of shine created by the
polyester film. The prominent design element
on the drum was extended onto the fill with
Rowney acrylic emulsion paints.
In a similar treatment, this fill mixture was
used in the restoration of a monitor lizard that
was part of a larger Mario Merz installation,
Untitled,1989.The lizard had been dried, stuffed
with sawdust, and mounted by inserting a metal
armature. A tear at the abdomen-tail junction
JAIC 37(1998): 135-145
had been created as a result of the strain placed
in this area by the weight of the tail while it was
on exhibit in a vertical position. In this applica-
tion, a backing of spun-bounded polyester was
adhered to the underside of the tear with BEVA
371 film and the aid of a tacking iron. The fill
material was then applied on top of the spun-
bounded polyester platform. The BEVA 371
film-glass microsphere-pigment mixture was
placed in the area of loss. A mold was taken of
the surrounding skin pattern and used to impart
texture to the fill. The fill was made warm with
the tacking iron and the mold pressed with gen-
tle pressure onto the fill material to receive the
texture. The fill was painted with Winsor &
Newton gouache colors and glazed with Par-
aloid B-72 and dry pigments. In addition, it was
necessary to have a mount fabricated to reduce
the strain on the lizard abdomen-tail junction.
This mount braced the tail and was affixed to
the wall for the installation. Figures 3-5 show
the BEVA fill application.
2.2 BULKED ACRYLOID F-10
This treatment is a variation on the use of a
bulked resin to form a flexible fill. In this example,
Acryloid F-10 is mixed with glassmicrospheres to
form a paste that can be applied to a loss directly
or used as a formed film made by applying the
paste to a mold. Acryloid F-10 is a homopoly-
mer of butyl methacrylate with a low glass tran-
sition temperature of 20?C. When the glass
microspheres are added to the solvated resin and
the solvent is allowed to evaporate, the rheolog-
ical properties of the resin change greatly to a
rather static yet flexible material.To the author's
knowledge, the fill material does not exhibit
cold flow in controlled museum climates.
Recipe
Ingredients:
25 ml AcryloidF-10 (butylmethacrylatesup-
plied in 40% solids in petroleum ben-
zine-Amsco F 9:1).Amsco F is character-
 SYNTHETIC FILLMATERIALSFOR SKIN, LEATHER,AND FURS 139

Fig. 3. Monitor lizardbefore treatment Pig. 4. Detail ot a tear betoretreatment

ized as a C-8 aromaticwith a flashpoint of

150?F (Wolthman1996).
50 cc 3M K-15 glassmicrospheres
For mixing,use a glassor metal containerand
a spatula.
While wearing a particle mask to avoid
inhalationof the microspheres,mix the Acry-
loid F-10 and glass microspherestogether.
The recipe will make a materialthe consis-
tency of marshmallow creme. This recipe
yields a fill of approximately10.0 x 10.0 cm
and 0.2-0.3 cm in depth.

When ready to use, scoop the fill material

with a spatula and apply it to the area of loss.
Though it will still be sticky, the fill can be tex-
tured while solvated. Texturing can also be
accomplished with the addition of solvents or
with a hot spatula after solvent evaporation, uti-
lizing the thermoplastic qualities of the resin.
Molds can be taken of similarly textured areas;
the fill material can be applied to the mother
mold and the solvents allowed to evaporate. At
least 48 hours are needed for the solvents to have
evaporated enough that the film remains cohe-
sive. Solvents will continue to evaporate after that
time, leading to some shrinkage; however, the
shrinkage is minimal. The fill remains slightly
flexible due to the glass transition temperature of
the butyl methacrylate. Cut the fill material to the
desired shape. Adhere the fill in place with addi-
Fig. 5. Detail of the tear aftertreatment
tional resin or heat the edges of the fill slightly
with a heated spatula to adhere. Color compen-
sation should be carried out with a medium
having a higher glass transition temperature to
decrease the chance of dust adhering to the fill
material. Acrylic emulsion paints work well. The
fill can be removed mechanically or by using
either solvent or heat.
Figure 6 demonstrates the use of this adhesive
and microsphere paste to replicate a taxidermy
mount of black rhinoceros skin. The black rhi-
noceros mount is an alum-tanned skin and has
been mounted to a prefabricated polyurethane
form. A mold was taken of rhinoceros skin, and

JAIC 37(1998): 135-45

 140 LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN

First a template was made of the area of loss.

This template was transferredto the synthetic fur,
and a fill section was cut. A sharp scalpel was used
to cut the nylon fur from the reverse side; care
was taken to cut only the stretch backing and not
the synthetic hair. The synthetic fur fill was
trimmed and layered to match the hairs of the
original fur. The synthetic fur was inserted into
place using Acryloid F-10 in acetone: the adhe-
sive was applied directly to the substrate (a pre-
fabricated polyurethane Western Kob mount) by
placing the edges of the fur fill directly to the
adjacent sides of the extant fur and skin. The syn-
thetic fur was toned and colored with Magna col-
Fig. 6. Replicate cast of Acryloid F-10 and glass
ors by brush application. Figures 7-9 illustrate this
microsphereson top of originalblackrhinocerosskin
technique.

the paste was applied to the mold. Forty-eight

hours were allowed to lapse before removing the
fill material from the mold. The fill was then
painted with Rowney acrylic emulsion paints.
This fill material can be easily cut to shape and
adhered with a variety of adhesives, by solvent
reforming on the edges to adhere, or with heat.

2.3. SYNTHETIC FURS

For fur or hair inserts, National Fiber Tech-

nologies, Ltd., supplies a broad assortment of syn-
thetic fur fabrics either from their vast stock or to
order. The most versatile synthetic fur is an in-
stock white fur made from 18 denier nylon with
a four-way spandex stretch backing. There are
three standard fur lengths: short (2.5-5.0 cm);
medium (8.0-10.0 cm); and long (10.0-15.0 cm).
According to the mill where the fabric is woven,
the fur can be easily colored with markers,pens,
paints, or dyes before utilizing as a fill.1
An alum-tanned and mounted Western Kob
(Kobus Kob) from Central Africa was fire- and
soot-damaged; the fire and subsequent water
damage resulted in gelatinization and shrinkage
of the skin, creating a loss on the proper right
shoulder. A National Fiber Technologies, Ltd., Fig.7.WesternKob beforetreatment;note damageon
synthetic fur was utilized to fill and integrate the lower properright shoulder
loss.

JAIC 37(1998): 135-145

 SYNTHETIC FILLMATERIALSFOR SKIN, LEATHER,AND FURS
Fig. 8. Detail of fill before toning
Fig. 9. Detail of the fill aftertreatment
141
3. CONCLUSION
Cohesive fills in skin products were easily made
and applied in these examples using standard
conservation materials and techniques. A caveat
must be made in the use of these types of fill
materials on appropriate skins and leathers. The
fill materials should be used on skin artifacts that
are stable and in relatively good condition. The
fill materials cited, when used properly, will aid
in increasing the aesthetic continuity of the skin
artifact by filling an area of loss.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author would like to thank the many indi-
viduals who were consulted and gave generous-
ly of their time, advice, and expertise: Ellen
Pearlstein, Brooklyn Museum, for support and
critical review; Leslie Ransick-Gat, conservator
in private practice, for her understanding, sup-
port, and guidance; Toby Raphael, National
Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center, for his crit-
ical review, which yielded many insights; Paul
Storch, Minnesota Historical Society, for his
many suggestions and ideas; Gwen Spicer, con-
servator in private practice, for treatment ideas
and help;Judith Levinson,American Museum of
Natural History, who was instrumental in intro-
ducing BEVA 371 solution and microspheres as
a fill material; Lisa Kronthal and Samantha
Alderson, American Museum of Natural History,
who suppled their selfless support; Alex Allardt
O'Donnell, conservator in private practice, for
her time and expertise with leather conserva-
tion; Christine Giuntini, associate conservator,
Metropolitan Museum of Art, for fun fur and
dye information; and GregoryYoung, conserva-
tion scientist, Analytical Research Laboratory,
Canadian Conservation Institute, for shrinkage
temperature information and expertise. Special
thanks go to Maria Berman, Colleen Brady,
Michaela Neiro, Nathan Otterson, Eugenie
Milroy, and my past and present staff at Give Me
a Break Conservation Services, Inc.
JAIC 37(1998): 135-45
 142 LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN

Young, G. 1990. Microscopical hydrothermal stability

NOTE
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premetalized dyes according to the manufac- 3:626-31.
turer's directions at pH 5.5 and pH 7 or
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must be subjected to an after-scour at 1400E
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SOURCES OF MATERIALS
Acryloid F-10
A butyl methacrylate homopolymer supplied in 40%
solids in mineral thinner:Amsco F at 9:1, manufactured
by Rohm and Haas.Amsco F is characterized as a C-8
aromatic with a flash point of 150?E Acryloid F-10 has
a glass transition temperature of 20?C.
Conservation Materials,Ltd.
P.O. Box 2884
Sparks,Nev. 89431
BEVA 371 film
A mixture of DuPont Elvax 150 (ethylene vinyl acetate
copolymer), Allied A-C 400 (ethylene vinyl acetate
copolymer), BASF Laropol K80 (cyclohexanone resin),
Hercules Cellolyn 21 (phthalate ester of hydrobietyl
alcohol), and paraffin(petrolatum)
Conservator'sProducts
Conservation Materials,Ltd.
P.O. Box 2884
Sparks,Nev. 89431
Bocour Magna Colors
Pigments in Acryloid F-10
Bocour Artist Colors, Inc.
Garnerville,N.Y.
Dry pigments
Available at art supply stores
 SYNTHETIC FILL MATERIALS FOR SKIN, LEATHER, AND FURS 145

Heated spatula LINDA NIEUWENHUIZEN received a B.A. in art

For the greatest degree of success, an ERSA heated history and archaeology from the University of Mis-
spatulawith a small infilling spatula is suggested. Manu- souri at Columbia in 1986 and an M.A. and certifi-
factured by G. Engelbrecht, Germany. cate of advanced study from the State University Col-
Olaf Unsoeld lege at Buffalo, N.Y. in 1990. After finishing her train-
Kolner L.L.C. ing, she interned and then gained employment at the
23 GrantAve. American Museum of Natural History, New York
New Providence, NJ. 07974 City, where she worked until 1996. She is an adjunct
professor at the Conservation Center of the Institute
of Fine Arts, New York University, where she has
Hollytex #3529.
taught since 1992, and is in private practice specializ-
Non-woven polyester fabric
Ahlstrom Filtration Inc. ing in ethnographic objects and natural science mate-
rials. Address: Give Me a Break Conservation Ser-
Talas,N.Y
vices, Inc., 48-20 Vernon Blvd., Ste. 2, Long Island
City, N.Y 11101.
Reemay
Received for review February 5, 1997. Revised man-
Spun-bonded polyester fabric Manufacturedby DuPont
Conservation Materials uscript received May 2, 1997,July 7, and November
P.O. Box 2884 3, 1997. Accepted for publication November 6, 1997.

Sparks,Nev. 89431

Rowney Cryla Artist Colors

Acrylic emulsion paints
Daler-Rowney
Available at art supply stores

Synthetic nylon fur with four-way stretch spandex

backing
18 denier nylon hair with woven nylon wrapped
LycraTM backing
National Fiber Technologies, Ltd.
300 Canal St.
Lawrence, Mass. 01840

3M glass microspheres K-15

Unicellular soda lime borosilicate glass microspheres
3M Corp.
Conservation Materials
P.O. Box 2884
Sparks,Nev. 89431

Winsor & Newton gouache

Paints
Winsor & Newton
Available at art supply stores

JAIC 37(1998): 135-45