Soluvar works well for me with Rapidograph ink pens.  Sometimes the ink
spreads when I use it on porcelain, but only if I apply the second coat
of Soluvar on too thick or don't let the ink dry for several hours.  For
black ink I just tried an Identi-pen from Gaylord.  It has a fine point
and an extra fine point and I think this is what I will be using from
now on, with Soluvar as base and top coat.

  I have used B72 with laser printed numbers and this seemed to adhere
better to the surface than when I used Soluvar.


Kate Hanson
Fidelity Investments


-----Original Message-----
From: Heidi Campbell-Shoaf [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 9:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: B-72 - a possible alternative


You may want to try soluvar. It is a non-yellowing varnish most often
used by artists. I was looking for clear medium for marking artifacts
when our source (Light Impressions) dried up. I talked with a collegue
who is the registrar at the Maryland Historical Society and she
suggested I try what they use which is soluvar. She has been using
longer than I have and said that it doesn't yellow or peel. They have
even gone so far as to experiment with printing numbers in very small
font on a laser printer (you can't do it with ink jet because the ink
runs)cutting them out and applying them between two layers of soluvar.
I've not tried this, but I have found that it does work with pigma
pens. Soluvar is available at artist supply stores. I ordered a can
from Talas, a conservation supply company and it will last me for many
years to come.

Heidi Campbell-Shoaf
Curator
Historical Society of Frederick County
24 E. Church St.
Frederick, MD 21701



On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 14:00:58 -0400
 Jenna Carroll-Plante <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> David and Amanda-
>
> I'm glad we're all discussing B-72 because my staff has been having
> some
> problems also.  We, too, just purchased it from Univ. Products and
> have
> found that after letting it dry for 24 hours the pigma pen ink still
> spreads
> when applied and doesn't seem to dry well.  We haven't dared to apply
> a top
> coat at this point.  Is this a problem with the ink, the B-72, or the
> objects we're cataloging?  We're applying numbers to flatware and are
> having
> trouble with some pieces more than others. Does B-72 and pigma ink
> react
> differently to different types of metals?
>
> - Jenna
>
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