[BCMA] Preserving Cedar Boughs?

Thu Mar 15 15:06:05 PDT 2012

I remember working on the Boreal Forest Gallery in Manitoba some 30  
plus years back. We had big tanks of a glycerin solution in which we  
soaked the disassembled trees for weeks. The individual branches and  
needles then needed to be dried and repainted brown and green  
respectively before each tree was reassembled and placed in the walk- 
though diorama.

Most of this work was done by Betsy Thorsteinson, the diorama artist.  
I think she may still be there.

HTH
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Chris Au CGD SEGD NAI
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Didax Design
Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada
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T:  604 438 8180
C:  604 961 3472
F:  604 438 8180
W: DidaxDesign.Com
LinkedIn
Behance
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C R E A T I V E   S O L U T I O N S   B Y   D E S I G N

On Mar 14, 2012, at 11:00 AM, Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. wrote:

> I have not found a way to actually preserve the branches as this  
> usually involves chemicals and a large cooking tank of some kind.  
> But I have learned of a way to keep the branches from falling  
> apart. It involves spraying the branches with a mixture of water  
> and clear caulking. It does not preserve the branch but rather  
> ‘glues’ it together to keep the branches and needles from  
> falling apart. You can do this for large or small branches. The  
> mixture goes on white but will dry clear. If you need to make large  
> branches, collect your large branch and cut off each small branch  
> close to the main branch (make sense?). the large main branch does  
> not need to be sprayed with the glue mixture, but each small branch  
> does. Once you have finished the small branches, you can re-attach  
> these to the main branch by drilling a hole where you cut it off  
> and insert with some white wood glue.
>
> The branch will turn dark brown so you will need to paint the  
> branch. Use an airbrush or some other small paint sprayer to coat  
> the glued branches green, then touch up with artists paints.
>
> You may find larger heavier branches want to curl, it is important  
> that the branches have time to dry properly, this may take several  
> weeks. Be sure the branches are hung or stacked in layers so as to  
> form the final shape. I would suggest several branches be layered  
> with paper in between and a piece of thin plywood on top. Cedar  
> branches are kind of flat naturally and once they are installed in  
> your exhibit would probably start to droop in a natural looking way.
>
>
>
>
>
> You will need:
>
> ·         DAP Dynaflex 230 clear. (this can be found in your local  
> hardware store, it is a caulking compound in a tube).
>
> ·         Spritzer bottles
>
> ·         A piece of stucco wire or chicken wire big enough to lay  
> your branches on.
>
> ·         Artists paints (I have used ordinary latex house paint  
> for the base color, just thin it a bit so you can spray it)
>
> ·         Poly film
>
> ·         Electric drill and mixer paddle
>
>
>
> Build a frame with the chicken wire and set this over a sheet of  
> poly to keep your floor clean.
>
> Cut the end off of the tube and force the contents out into a bucket.
>
> Add an equal amount of water.
>
> Mix the two together and add water if needed to make the mixture  
> the consistency of milk.
>
> Pour this into the spritzer bottles
>
> Lay your freshly cut cedar branches onto the wire frame and spray  
> with the water/ DAP mix just enough to wet the entire branch. You  
> don’t want to soak your floor with it, just the branch.
>
> Allow the branch to dry by hanging it by its stem on a clothes line.
>
> Each branch should be re-coated at least 6 times and up to 10 times.
>
>
>
> If you have any questions please contact me at 250-818-6386 or at  
> clongpre at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
>
> Colin Longpre
>
>
>
>
>
> From: bcma-bounces at lists.vvv.com [mailto:bcma- 
> bounces at lists.vvv.com] On Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber  
> listserv.
> Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 11:52 PM
> To: bcma at lists.vvv.com
> Subject: Re: [BCMA] Preserving Cedar Boughs?
>
>
>
> They are a fire hazard. We used them for Christmas decorations at  
> various historic sites I worked at. After a month they were dry as  
> tinder and shedding. At BVM went with synthetic as I recall. Design  
> crew now deceased I believe so no lead on replicas unless current  
> design crew have files etc. can also try Internet search.
>
>
>
> Preservation or synthetic? Try RBCM people who worked with Jean  
> Andre. They created artificial forest when Jean was Chief Designer.
>
>
>
> Colin Stevens
>
> Richmond BC
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 2012-03-08, at 12:33 PM, "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv."  
> <bcma at lists.vvv.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
>
>
> I am wondering if anyone out there has had any success preserving  
> cedar boughs for long term use in exhibits. If so, any instruction  
> would be kindly appreciated.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Erin Wright
>
> Quatse Salmon Stewardship Centre
>
> Port Hardy, BC
>
> www.thesalmoncentre.org
>
>
>
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