On June 18, 2019 at 9:23 AM Bob Webber <rgz17@...> wrote:

Thanks, Mark.   Actually, *most* of the 100 yo stuff is far easier to work with than the 50 yo stuff - the older stuff uses linen - the problem there is that the starch comes out. But it can be ironed.  Then there is the paper used during WW II - very fragile, and used (mostly) by Osgood Bradley (a lot of bus drawings are gone because of it).  Then we come to mylar - where the emulsion flakes off.  Give me linen - even floppy, post-mold linen - any day! 

We don't have issues with brittleness - save for the flat filed Osgood Bradley mentioned. These freight car drawings are now 115 years old - some of them are as clean & crisp as if they were done yesterday - beautiful piece of art. 

When I opened the tube, there were some very high contrast (non-faded) drawings of steel - deep steel - fish belly underframes.  Gorgeous stuff.  Looks like a battleship of the same era.  Lots of big rivets and bolts.

At 07:39 AM 6/18/2019, mark landgraf wrote:

Bob

It's so much fun to work with 100 year old paper.

I've found that high humidity helps temporarily get rid of the brittleness in old paper prints.

Steamtown uses a large steam box that they have. I have used a galvanized steel trash can with a few bricks in the bottom and about an inch of water in the bottom. Loosen up the rolled drawings, set them on the bricks, and place the cover on the can for a few days. Then unroll the damp drawings and place on a tabletop. In couple of hour they are ready for scanning.

At home, I've been known to hang them in the bathroom. After a couple of steamy showers, they are a lot easier to work with.

Mark

Bob Webber