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15. REPAIRS AND RESTORATIONS

A Few Hints on how to Restore an Old Ship Model—The Methods to Adopt, Pitfalls to Avoid, and some Remarks on the Importance of Historical Accuracy.

Hidden in a dusty loft, cupboard or the spare room, one occasionally comes across a genuine old-time ship model, built years ago by craftsmen who had the advantage of knowing and seeing the ships they modeled. Rare indeed is it to find one such model that has not suffered from the devastating hand of time. Yet by their age, their plaintive air of forlorn misery, they awake an irresistible appeal to the craftsman of to-day, calling for his loving care and longing to regain something of the glory that was theirs.

They have a preciousness that is wholly their own, a quality that no modern work can possess. Actually the model may not be so nearly to scale as a modern piece, the workmanship may be indifferent, the rigging incorrect; but all the same it is a genuine old piece and deserves some thought and consideration on that score alone.

Unfortunately its resurrection may be fraught with divers risks and penalties; the old ship may fall into the hands of willing but ill-guided folk who tear away the mass of tangled cordage that once was rigging, only to replace it with some­thing out of reason with no pretence of historical correctness.

The second state of such a model is worse than the first if it is fated to be covered with a cloak of in correctitude.

Reader, if you are fortunate enough to find such a model, cherish it, set it in an honoured place, guard it carefully from accident and disaster!

Carefully remove all loose parts, store them with equal care, remove the dust with a soft brush and generally examine the model for any indication of its age or maker.

Probably there will hot be much to go by, more than likely the ship will be nameless, and its period difficult to determine with any certitude. However, before attempting to do anything to the model in the way of repairs and restora­tion, it is desirable to ascertain as definitely as possible the age or period, the nationality, and the name of the original. This will call for a good deal of research, and may prove an insuperable task, but it should be pursued assiduously with a fixed determination to find out as much as possible about the old ship. Meanwhile, resist all temptations to undertake any serious repairs or other work on the model; or at least until every avenue has been explored.

The reason for this reticence is that, if repairs or renovation are hastily undertaken, it may only prove to be detrimental to the future of the boat, as something may be done to destroy the original conception behind the model. Herein lies the true art of the repairer, to bring back the former glory of the model, to make it as it was; not to convert it to something else. Of course there are a few exceptions, as for example when the hull alone remains and the whole of the masts and rigging must be added.

What is really implied is that the best treatment for a genuine old ship model is to do whatever is necessary to restore it, not to convert it, or modernize it, or try to improve on the craftsmanship. To do all this therefore requires a comprehensive knowledge of the general history of the particular model, an understanding of the prototype, and a command of necessary information about details to guide the hand and instruct the brain in the work of intelligent restoration.

It is impossible to do more than generalize on the procedure to adopt when sufficient has been ascertained about the model to justify its restoration. Supposing that all the parts are present, but damaged in various ways, for example, the rigging may be broken and displaced, damage done to the hull and so forth. In such cases the general procedure is to remedy all defects on the hull by carefully opening out the split or other blemish, introducing a little adhesive and forcing the part back into place again and holding it there until the adhesive has set, at the same time wiping off any surplus which may exude.

Chipped parts or those places where a little piece has been broken off and lost can well be remedied by the addition of a little plastic wood, roughly modelled into the desired form while in a plastic state, and subsequently carved to exactly simulate the missing piece. Finish off all such parts by very carefully staining or painting to exactly match original work.

Damaged metal parts can generally be repaired by remov­ing them bodily, straightening them up and reshaping as necessary. Should the metal be brass or copper, it is desirable in most cases to anneal it before attempting to bend it, otherwise a breakage is almost inevitable. Annealing can be accomplished by slowly heating the metal almost to a red heat and allowing it to cool very slowly.

Parts which have been soldered will probably come apart, but they can easily be re-soldered afterwards. It is fairly safe to straighten up any ironwork without previous annealing, but there is no harm in doing so as the annealing process relieves the metal of all internal stress.

Splintered and broken spars can readily be united by coating the faces of the splits with diluted adhesive, forcing the parts into contact and securing them in their positions until the adhesive has set or hardened.

Treatment of the hull generally may be based on the same principles and be effected by similar methods to those advocated for the construction of new models, the aim always being to stimulate the original work.

Ivory ship models are sometimes more difficult to deal with, much depending on the way they were made, and so forth. Many of the ivory faced hulls had the little strips and pieces affixed to the wooden hull by tiny nails or pin points, others were attached by cement, and some examples were built entirely of ivory.

Obviously the original method dictates the new; what was originally pinned should be pinned again; and whatever part was affixed with cement or adhesive should again be similarly attached. Generally it will be found that the dust has worked down between the parts, and this must of course be cleared away before the adhesive is applied.

There is some difference of opinion as to the wisdom or otherwise of clearing the surfaces of models made of ivory or bone, decisions being taken according to circumstances; when the stains or discolorations are local, and probably due to an accident, they may with advantage be eliminated by lightly sponging with dilute oxalic acid, a little peroxide of hydrogen, or other suitable cleaner. It is always advisable to test the effect of the cleaner on another piece of similar material to make sure that the second state will not be worse than the first.

Similarly with the cleaning of old paintwork; the wisest course is to use a pad of linen dipped in warm water, rather than adopt at the outset the more heroic method of employing oils or turpentine, as they may completely ruin the old paint, whereas the warm water and perhaps a trace of soap are not likely to do any serious harm. The woodwork must not be made wet, or the grain of the wood may open or swell.

Treatment of the cordage presents many problems. The first is to disentangle the separate pieces, and if the whole is very dry and brittle it will be wise to moisten them to restore their flexibility. Here again the best liquid to use must be decided by circumstances and observation. If the cord is in its natural state, a light machine oil, or a trace of linseed oil, lightly brushed on will often suffice; but if they have been painted or varnished use turpentine or methylated spirits for the softening agent and finish off with linseed oil.

When the cords are pliable they can be straightened out and sorted into groups, assuming of course that they have been detached from the masts and spars. Those which are intact can then be replaced in their proper positions, other which have been broken can in many cases be united by gumming the ends  slightly  and  carefully placing them  in contact.

Fig.  175. An Example of Excellent Restoration.

A good plan is to support the two parts of the cord, from somewhere near the broken ends, by means of two clamps of some sort, such a pair of bull-dog paper clips, tie clips or the like. If this work is neatly done the joint will be almost invisible and will be strong enough for all practical purposes.

Similar methods can be followed with those parts of the rigging which have been broken. When new parts of the rigging have to be made, the selected cordage ought to match the original as nearly as possible both for texture, the number of strands, and so forth. It can then be stained with any suitably coloured water stain, and when dry rubbed over with a solution of turpentine, linseed oil and beeswax.

Finally, attend to all the etceteras in the way of a polished mahogany stand, showcase or the like, making good any defects that may have developed, and thus complete the restoration of the model, which should now be enclosed by a suitable glass case to ensure its future preservation. The old model illustrated by fig. 175 is an example of what can be done to restore an early model and retain the character of the original work.

The number and variety of old half models, scenic models, and some rare examples of mechanically actuated spectacular models prohibit any specific hints on their renovation. The guiding principles with all such work should be to retain the original character of the work, to use every possible bit of the old model, and to adopt ordinary constructional methods to the special circumstances of the job.

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