I appreciate this topic very much- as I have some bare pine boards that need
to be sealed/painted and I was about to ask the list for suggestions,
thankfully most of the shelves are metal.

Regards,

Joshua
http://www.joshuakblay.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of George Schwartz
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:55 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: wood sealer

--- Lisa Dunbar <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> We are getting ready to build new storage bins for some of our framed
> art.  These will most likely be made of plywood.  Can anyone suggest
> some
> fairly inexpensive sealer for the plywood?
> Thank you very much.
> Lisa Dunbar
==================================================> 
Lisa,

Plywood is very porous and it would need to be covered by several,
fairly thick layers of sealer to prevent outgassing and dusting. Aside
from the cost of the materials, the labor element will be considerable
and no matter what sealer you end up using, the effectiveness will be
difficult to measure and remain questionable. 

You can get a pretty good idea of the problem by reading the third
paragraph of the link below:

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an10/an10-4/an10-402.html

There are safer and better ways to store framed pictures that provide
protection, improved accessibility and virtually the same storage
density as traditional shelving. There are other suppliers as well, but
check out the link below:

http://www.montel.com/en/who/clients/museum/museum.htm

If you must use traditional style shelving, I suggest shelving systems
made of metal, like the ones in the link below, a version of which have
been in use at our facility for over thirty years:

http://www.conceptstorage.com/images/shelving.jpg

Ours was manufactured by Redirack and uses perforated steel uprights
and galvanized steel shelves all adjustable and bolted together. I
understand the system is now boltless and easier to construct. You'll
have to research a bit for availability and best prices. 

In conclusion, I caution against the use of plywood and if you like you
can contact me off list to discuss this further.

George


=====
George Schwartz
ConservArt - Master Frame Makers and Art Conservators
http://www.ConservArt.com
8177 Glades Road #16 - Boca Raton, FL 33434 U.S.A.
Tel:(561)482-7292 - Fax:(561)482-6787
mailto:[log in to unmask]
 
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