Restoration of 80 Plus year Old "Sailors Model"

[Thistle17]

I have been asked to restore a family's model of a fishing schooner modeled after a Maine vessel of the turn of the 20th century. I am told it was built by the builder of the original vessel. It has suffered the ravages of time and neglect. I need some recommendation of what to do with the sails. They were extremely well done perhaps the most notable execution of all elements. They do suffer from significant yellowing and environmental grime. They seem to be made of a very fine weave fabric and show no sign of rot. Can't tell if they are linen or a very fine weave cotton.

 

Joe 

[Jaager]

There was a time when sails were made using a drafting medium that was a very fine cloth.  The "starch" binder was extracted.  I have never encountered this material.  It could be this.

If you consult a museum conservator, a save way to clean may be suggested.  It sounds like it the material is hardy.  I am imagining that repeated rinsing repeatedly with distilled water would remove water soluble concretions.  The likely contributor to the yellowing is the condensed volatile products of tobacco combustion.  This is really nasty stuff to remove.

 

When done, it needs its own case.

[Charles Green]

I drew maps with pen and ink for a utility company in the mid-1980's.  The medium you refer to was starched linen.  The starch would take ink and with care, the ink could be erased.  With a linen substrate, the maps  could be folded many times and left folded without the danger of separating along the folds.  After so many revisions an old map had to be copied on to new material.  Some of the copied maps were 3X4 feet in dimension.   I would bring them to my Mom.  She had a dress-making/tailoring business at home.  She would wash the starch out and use the fine linen for making baby clothes. 

 

If you can find a source of old maps, ones without historical significance, you will have all the fine linen you will need.