I just want to add, that University Products, Gaylord, and other reputible 
conservation supplier companies have conservators on staff to talk with 
regarding your preservation issues.  The buffering papers are much more less 
intrusive then the spray and is more commonly used in the conservation 
field.  I would hesitate to spray your documents with anything that claims 
to preserve things by coating them. Those sprays are good, but cannot fully 
reverse or stop the inevitable degradation of acidic papers (newsprint, 
blueprints etc).  Photo duplication or digital copying is much more 
preservation friendly and would preserve the original form of any documents 
you have.  There are many great paper conservators out there who would offer 
some friendly advice in this area to those of you who want to do right by 
your objects or archives.  There are links to this sort of advice, and where 
to find a conservator on the newly published Conservation FAQs hosted on the 
SHA website (following the publications link from the home page).  As for 
flattening rolled plans, this too is a task that a conservator undertakes 
and it can be very time consuming and difficult. However, flattening of 
documents is something that a conservator could work with laboratory staff 
to do in the right environment and with the right training.

Lisa Young
Archaeological Conservator
Alexandria Conservation Services, ltd.







----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron May" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: Archival Conservation of Architectural Plans


> Morgan,
>
> I recommend you obtain a catalog of University Products and then read up 
> on
> a chemical called Hwei To (or something like that), which can be sprayed 
> on
> acidic documents to reverse the process and stabilize the paper. There are 
> also
> sheets of de-acidifier paper that can be inserted in between to draw-out 
> the
> acid from your paper. Conservators use these materials with far better
> technical  skill than you or I could, but when you cant afford their 
> rates, you
> learn to  experiment.
>
> My problem is with rolled-up and brittle plans that might crumble if I 
> tried
> to flatten them. Once I can get through that issue, copying is not an 
> issue.
>
> Ron May
> Legacy 106, Inc.
>