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protecting fossil limestone outside

Stone Conversations : Archive 6 : Message 00213

From: "John VanCamp" <jvcstnwrks@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 07:44:24 -0500
Subject: protecting fossil limestone outside


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Barnes" <barnestrav@--------- >

Quoted text begins.I created a sculpture out of a Canadian (BC) limestone that is
absolutely packed with fossils. Polishing it was very
difficult
End of quote.


Ken. there are many terrific sealer / impregnators on the
market for stone. The deal with these products is that they
work by going into the stone filling up the pore space, and do
not sit on the surface. The directions for most require wiping
off any excess. Therefore, while they offer good protection
from liquids entering the stone and staining, they will do
nothing to protect the surface from erosion damage, acid rain
etching, etc. So, if the potential worry with your particular
stone is the much softer shells eroding away, a sealer will not
help. There are some products that are "topical" coatings which
are just that. They remain on the surface providing a
protective shield so to speak. Problem is that they all alter
the appearance of the stone (ie change the color, or darken it)
and in my experience most will crack, and chip and eventually
yellow under UV conditions. You might look into a crystal clear
acrylic, but I sure would test it on a scrap of stone prior to
using it on your sculpture. Of course, I would do that with any
product I was thinking about using on a piece of my work.
Good luck,
John VanCamp / JVC Stoneworks

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