Dealing with warped vase bases

[Paul Pawlaczyk]

Can anyone help me deal with making ancient Greek earthenware stable - WITHOUT visible hold-downs or shims?
Several vases I have come with warped flared foot rings and wobble. My present method of making them stable (shims) is not acceptable to the curator.
I was hoping for some sort of chemically stable wedging material that's semi-rigid and can be cut to varying sizes, half moons and/or wedges.
These items are cased, BTW.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks. Paul

[T. Ashley McGrew]

Hi Paul, You are in luck! This issue came up in a big way a while back with the disappearance of a product called Phillyseal (formerly known as Pliacre) from the market. This material was a commonly used epoxy-like product that has passed Oddy tests (an accelerated aging test that is considered a practical measure of chemical stability).One major application of this material in mountmaking matches your description and has traditionally been described as an "interface" which is something made to go between objects (often irregular) and decks or build-ups (typically quite flat). Basically you mix the "goop" up and using barrier materials you press the object down into the surface and hold it in the position you want it to be displayed in. It doesn't matter if it gooshes out beyond the rim of the object because once it cures it can be sanded down to match the shape of the object. Typically it would then be attached to the deck, backboard or build-up and painted to match so that it blends in and the object will appear to "float" in its desired orientation. To check out some details go to this thread in the mountmaking section of the forum: http://www.paccin.org/showthread.php?158-Replacement-for-Pliacre (http://www.paccin.org/showthread.php?158-Replacement-for-Pliacre)There are products listed there that have undergone testing.What I wonder based on your question though is how stable the material needs to be for display purposes. You wouldn't normally think that earthenware is going to particularly susceptible to material off-gassing. Have you had input from a conservator in this regard? Maybe there is something more sensitive to pollutants contained within the same airtight environment that is a problem?If not, epoxy putty purchased in convenient two-part blendable "stick" form purchased from any home improvement store might just do the trick. Hope this is helpful. Good luck, Ashley

[Paul Pawlaczyk]

Thank you so much, Ashley. These are both answers I was looking for. You're the best.
=P=