Structural Fillsfor Large wood Objects: Contrasting and Complementary Approaches

Abstract

The most up-to-date publication on the full range of aesthetic compensation materials for wood remains R. Barclay and D.W Grattan's paper in the ICOM Committee for Conservation preprints, “A silicone rubber/microballoon mixture for gap-filling in wooden objects” (1988). Because of the wide range of materials covered in that paper, the issue of structural compensation was not treated in great depth. This article will focus on philosophy, materials, and techniques used today by wood conservators when structural (weight-bearing and shear-resisting) compensation is required. Aesthetic fill material is not necessarily dependent upon specific compatibility with the substrate material, so the range of choice of materials can be quite broad. However, since material and strength compatibilities are critical to a structural fill, those applied to wood objects fall within a fairly small range. Literature on the subject is limited, and practices among wood conservators are relatively uniform: wood fills, thermosetting synthetic fills, and combinations of the two.