Conservation of a Kayak

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The Removal of Previous
Museum Repairs

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In 1992, the kayak showed new damage to the original skin and to some of the repairs done in 1965. Previous visible and unsightly repairs were removed. They had been made with materials that do not comply with current conservation standards and whose rigidity caused additional stress on the skin. Most of the materials used in the repairs (duct and electrical, cardboard, pins, plasticine, etc.) were removed mechanically. Paint and glue residues were first softened with ethanol compresses.

By clicking on one of the images below, you can learn more about the various kinds of previous repairs which had been attempted on the kayak, as well as the steps involved in stabilizing the damage that some of these unwittingly entailed.

Examples of previous museum repairs

Plasticine and cardboard use. Paint retouches extend well beyond the edges.

The same area after cleaning.

Use of electrical tape and glue residues.

The same area after cleaning. Backing procedure in progress.

Recent damage to previous museum repairs showing poor environmental control

Use of cardboard tacked to the wooden frame and packing tape. Environmental fluctuations caused the skin to shrink and pull on the tape, causing new splits in the skin that are visible in the photo.

The same area after cleaning. Backing procedure in progress.

Use of gummed fabric strips with excess paint. New splits in the fabric strips caused by humidity fluctuations are visible in the photo.

The same area after cleaning. Restoration completed.

Mechanical cleaning of excess paint following the application of ethanol compresses.