Modostuc

Julietta Santacana <mike [at] genesis__tur__cu> writes

>I'm a Cuban student on restauration finishing my studies on the
>subject specializing in Modern Art Restoration. For the purpose of
>finishing my thesis I would like to know more information on the
>properties of Modostuc. So far I have not found enough information
>on the web concerning this topic. Thanks in advance.

Modostuc is the brandname of an Italian filler for wood and stone
with properties that have made it popular with restorers, especially
for shallower fills, such as lacunae in paint layers, gesso or
gilding, or ceramics.. Modostuc has a very fine structure and is
easy to work with, straight from the jar. It remains soluble in
water and in solvents such as ethanol or acetone. In this way it can
be made very smooth (with a wet rag or a cotton swab). Ethanol or
acetone can be used to remove excess Modostuc without damaging
water gilding for example. After sealing the surface of the fill can
be comfortably painted or gilded on. Old, dried up Modostuc can be
regenerated with water.

I was told that Modostuc was analyzed a decade ago at the Dutch
Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN) and that the following
ingredients were found: chalk, kaolin, polyvinylacetate and an
acrylic ester.

Modostuc is a relatively inexpensive product--about Euro 3,50 for a
0,5 kg jar. It is produced by Plasveroi S.p.A., Via Camussone 38,
Franzione Giovernenzano, Vellezzo Bellini, PV, Italy, +390 382
926895 in white and 9 colors (rosewood, oak, ivory, mahogany, teack,
douglas, spruce, walnut and dark walnut). It is hard to find outside
of Italy and I am glad that it is now for sale in Netherlands
(Labshop). It is also sold in Paris (CTS).

Hubert Baija
Senior Conservator of Frames
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:67
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 30, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-67-004
                                  ***