ConNext-2021

72 Wood consolidation without colour change Conservation of the Stickford Church Bell Clapper KEYWORDS: wood consolidation, preventing discolouration, cyclododecane, barrier layer, insect infestation. The clapper of the Stickford church bell is a composite object of wrought iron mounted to uncoated wood and previously hung inside the churches 15 th century bell. It created the ringing sound when hitting against the swinging bell which finally cracked and was lowered to the base of the tower in 1939. As a result of unmonitored storage under the bell the ash timber of the clapper was severely damaged by insect infestation, unstable and was in its worst affected areas unable to support its own weight, necessitating structural consolidation. The untreated appearance of the wood was considered to be an important aesthetic feature conveying information about the history of this object, its manufacture, use and age. Considerable thought was therefore given to a consolidation treatment that would strengthen the fragile wood without altering its appearance by darkening or colouring its surface. This paper will focus on the challenges faced in the testing and successful application of the waxy saturated cyclic alkane, cyclododecane as a barrier layer to protect the wooden surface from discolouration during injection consolidation with a Paraloid® B72 solution. Some of the key areas which will be discussed include firstly, balancing the viscosity, polarity and evaporation rate of the consolidation solution to work with the barrier layer without compromising the needs of the object, secondly, the practical considerations of applying cyclododecane over a large surface area of wood replete with flight holes, and lastly the methods devised to control the sublimation of the cyclododecane during and after consolidation. Once these initial challenges were overcome, this conservation treatment provided a workable solution which might be of use in the treatment of other fragile wood to reduce the aesthetic impact of consolidation. roisinbeirne[at] gmail.com