Other Resins

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It is not essential that you use EasySections resin with EasySections. Other conservators have used resins such as Technovit 2000 and Bioplast with equally good results.

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Shelf-life

After about six months, EasySection resin can become stringy. This is then difficult to work with as it gives a very short working time. An aged resin will not affect the curing processes of the resin. Any bubbles which may appear will work their way to the surface of the cube. A four year old bottle of resin has just been used successfully although it did appear very “gooey”. If necessary, use a few drops of acetone to thin the resin. Please note however, the acetone may well affect any layers in the sample which are susceptible to this solvent.

Sample protection

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Vulnerable samples can be coated with Parylene to protect them from the action of solvents. This will protect all layers within the sample and has been researched by Dr Leslie Carlyle et al in a paper entitled “Traditional Painting Varnishes Project: Preliminary Report on Natural and Artificial Aging and a Note on the Preparation of Cross Sections”, Varnish Material – Aesthetics – History, International Colloquium, Braunschweig, 15-17 June 1998. The relevant section is reproduced here with kind permission of Leslie Carlyle.

“The Preparation of Cross-Sections: Cross-Sections of varnish and oil paint were taken from the varnished boards after they had aged naturally for three years. Because the samples were still relatively young, the embedding medium (Bueher Castolite Resin) dissolved the varnishes (including temporary varnishes made with egg white and isinglass). The problem was solved with the application of Parylene C, Poly (p-xylylene) 11,12which when introduced in a vapour form under vacuum, deposited a 2 m thick insoluble polymer film over the entire cross-section. They polymer film protected the samples from dissolution in the embedding medium.