Catherine tells us about her lifelong passion for building conservation, and how others can pursue their interest and achieve qualifications here at West Dean College.

In a previous post I described the initial stages of my research in the properties and preparation of wheat starch paste. Here I will continue with an outline description of the quantitative and qualitative tests my paste samples were subjected to, in order to identify which parameters might influence the properties of paste.

Deciding which course of treatment to take on an object can be a near-impossible task, and even after I've finished working on a clock and it's ticking away happily on a test stand, I'll still be wondering if there was something I should have done slightly differently...

Kate Jennings on adhesion, cohesion, and repairing a lead elephant.

It's the end of another academic year at West Dean! Following a long tradition from the Books department of having a reception for students to show their work to and chat with professional conversators, clients, visiting lecturers, and friends of the college, the rest of the college now participates on the same day. I love seeing the same faces turn up year after year to celebrate with us. Here are some photos for those who couldn't make it in the flesh!

The marine chronometer signed by John Lilley & son from 1929 has shown evidences of a failure of one of its major components. The helical hairspring which is co-regulating the frequency of the balance (factor determining the rate of the mechanism) was broken by fracture near its lower attachment point. The aim of the project was to provide a replacement spring for the chronometer which would possess the required mechanical properties (toughness, elasticity, shape, composition …).

Step-by-step instructions for a herringbone endband-with a video!

Among the various nineteenth century case bindings that rest on the shelves in the West Dean Books department awaiting treatment was one that was different to the rest. It was particularly appealing as its binding was completely covered in pressure-sensitive adhesive tape and it was therefore an interesting challenge to take on for a beginning book conservation student.

While studying at West Dean, a key and sobering lesson I have learned is that most of the objects you will work on as a book conservator will be brown. Sometimes reddish-brown, sometimes greenish-brown, but still basically brown.

Accordingly, there was cause for celebration when The Royal Jubilee 1935 came across my bench. ...