table consisted of a box frame of metal girders supporting a top of 25 mm
(1-in.) thick blockboard panel fastened with screws from below. A layer of
soft, 15 mm thick polyurethane foam sheeting^14 was laid on top, and a
release film was secured over the foam.
The main table was extended to accommodate the panel and join-
ing apparatus during gluing procedures. A side edge of the panel was pro-
jected over the table edge to expose the split being treated at both the
front and the back of the panel. The panel’s projected edge was supported
by an extension, separated from the main table with a variable gap. The
gap allowed access from above and below to the area to be glued. Girders,
nested double for sufficient rigidity, were attached to the table frame.
Screw clamps could be positioned to apply pressure in any direction for
alignment and rejoining.
As work progressed toward the center of the panel, it became
necessary to project an increasingly large portion of the painting, sup-
ported by the table extension. The extension consisted of a padded panel
lying on four upturned screw clamps, which were attached to the girders
of the extension frame. The extension girders, in turn, were attached to
and extended from beneath the main table. They were of sufficient length
to double the main table’s width when fully projected.
The padded extension panel was thus made adjustable for angle,
height, and distance with respect to the main table. These factors permit-
ted adjustment of the panel’s plane to conform with varying warp or to
achieve various angles for gluing. Eventually, as more of the painting was
projected, it became necessary to reinforce the projected girder ends with
footed vertical girder legs that rested on the floor.
As rejoining proceeded, an inherent convex warp^15 became appar-
ent when the panel was viewed from the painted side. The legs could be
angled to direct the joining pressure in order to align it with the panel
warp. Because the panel was facedown, pressure was directed at a slightly
downward angle, in line with the panel’s curvature, to prevent buckling.
Batten removal and rejoining began from one side-grain edge and
was continued toward the center.^16 After halfofthe panel was consoli-
dated, it was turned 180° horizontally to treat damages to the other half.
For each split the battens were removed from above and to a point just
before the next split. The exposed split was then aligned and glued.
Splits occurred at various angles in relation to the panel edge and
roughly parallel to the local grain. The direction of any split could be fol-
lowed closely by the screw-clamp positions, since the girders to which they
were attached could be bolted at any angle in the horizontal plane. The
top girder(s), with clamps attached and set, could be unbolted at one end
and pivoted away from the split for the application of the glue, then repo-
sitioned quickly for the application of joining pressure—much as was done
with the smaller apparatus.
In such a large rejoining mechanism, the beams that support the
alignment apparatus are often not sufficiently rigid, especially when pres-
sure must be applied in the middle of a large panel. Rigidity may be
increased by bolting two lengths ofgirder together in the most useful
configuration. Nested T or U sections may be constructed. U sections will
allow screw clamps to be placed in parallel lines. Any thickness of timber
could also be screwed or bolted to a girder to increase rigidity.
The entire apparatus can be taken apart quickly and easily, and
the parts can be stored in a relatively small space or used for another pur-428 Brewer