Connecting to Collections Care

Hello everyone!

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for a barrier material for packing a wax bust. The bust will be soft packed and stored for at least 6 months before moving into our new museum. 

We are considering glassine or maybe washed Tyvek? The surface of the bust is tacky. 

Any suggestions are very welcome! Thank you :) 

Hello everyone!

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for a barrier material for packing a wax bust. The bust will be soft packed and stored for at least 6 months before moving into our new museum. 

We are considering glassine or maybe washed Tyvek? The surface of the bust is tacky. 

Any suggestions are very welcome! Thank you :) 

Hi Tess,

For soft and slightly tacky items you probably want to have as little touching the surface as possible while still stabilizing the piece - which can be a real challenge. Tyvek has a "soft" and "slick" sides and and the slick side is less prone to getting stuck to things but it still has a pattern that can sometimes transfer to soft surfaces. Another option would be silicone release mylar. The mylar is stiff so this wouldn't conform to shape but it can be used for small points of contact. It can sometimes leave a surface burnished or shiny. So there may not be a perfect option. Obviously you don't need a whole roll of it and it is out of stock at Talas - where we purchae it, so I include the link just for reference. But you might be able to find a smaller quantity or ask a local conservator to sell you a yard. 

https://www.talasonline.com/Silicone-Coated-Polyester-Mylar-Rolls?quantity=1&width=104&thickness=23&Form=49 

Hello everyone!

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for a barrier material for packing a wax bust. The bust will be soft packed and stored for at least 6 months before moving into our new museum. 

We are considering glassine or maybe washed Tyvek? The surface of the bust is tacky. 

Any suggestions are very welcome! Thank you :) 

Hi Tess,

Echoing Rachael here -- I would hazard against Tyvek touching the surface of the object. We've learned Tyvek can even leave imprints on metal surfaces if left in contact with it for too long, so in our studio we have been using Dartek and other alternatives over Tyvek for many types of objects. Silicone release mylar is a great option if you can get your hands on some, but again, it should touch as little of the surface as possible. In a real pinch, you could consider traditional parchment paper used for baking. We have used this for very short term packing of African objects that have tacky, sticky surfaces from oils applied in ritual and use (short term meaning transportation from the client's home to our studio, where we immediately unpack it). Of course, this is not an archival material--or even a traditional art packing material-- and has not been Oddy tested, so it is impossible to know how 'safe' it would be for short or longer term use. 

Does the piece have a base it is securely attached to? Can you provide an image of the piece?

Best,

Rebecca

Hi Tess,

For soft and slightly tacky items you probably want to have as little touching the surface as possible while still stabilizing the piece - which can be a real challenge. Tyvek has a "soft" and "slick" sides and and the slick side is less prone to getting stuck to things but it still has a pattern that can sometimes transfer to soft surfaces. Another option would be silicone release mylar. The mylar is stiff so this wouldn't conform to shape but it can be used for small points of contact. It can sometimes leave a surface burnished or shiny. So there may not be a perfect option. Obviously you don't need a whole roll of it and it is out of stock at Talas - where we purchae it, so I include the link just for reference. But you might be able to find a smaller quantity or ask a local conservator to sell you a yard. 

https://www.talasonline.com/Silicone-Coated-Polyester-Mylar-Rolls?quantity=1&width=104&thickness=23&Form=49 

Hello everyone!

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for a barrier material for packing a wax bust. The bust will be soft packed and stored for at least 6 months before moving into our new museum. 

We are considering glassine or maybe washed Tyvek? The surface of the bust is tacky. 

Any suggestions are very welcome! Thank you :)