Oriental Screens

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Finally starting on them. Mixed of a Qt of Rabbit Skin Glue. Got hold of some good % 100 cotton. Now a lot of these screens are wrapped with the cotton. So to repair the foot areas of this 4 panel screen that had years of moister damage and the smooth coat was deteriorated to powder so most of the foot area needed full warping. A couple panels only needed sections done.

1st after cleaning and repairing missing areas I brushed on the HOT Rabbit skin glue and let site a couple minutes and them stretched the cotton over the the area. After that dries good a few coats of gesso and then the glazed Lacquering coats. I have a slight idea how many it will take , somewhere between 7-12.

By then I should have the cut stones in to start shaping to fit the missing pieces.

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Now after the cotton sheeting has dried I mixed up a Mud : 1 part gesso , 1 part Pumas stone #2 and 20% rabbit skin glue. Mixed thoroughly.
I use a fan brush to apply. This is my 3rd coat. Sanding between coats with 100 grit. Finial coat will be gesso with 10% rabbit skin glue to ensure adhesion.
Then the Shellac coats and Lacquering

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Dave you are an amazing guy. Really? Rabbit skin glue? :D I sure got a laugh and education with that. So a guy just starts pondering.........Are you going to make your own lacquer? If you want to wait until Spring I can get you lots of poison ivy vines/leaves. Same basic stuff Japanese lacquer is made from.

www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/videoDetails?cat=7&segid=4306

I sure wonder how they figured that one out. I sure admire commitment to authentic restoration work.

Dave I think you would get on famously with a good friend of mine. Mike does similar kind or art with his focus being on Native American craft. Here is a link to His website.

www.artofishi.com/

If you ever get back out to Michigan I would be glad to introduce you.
 
The Ring Saw just came in , diamond blade saw from Diamond Pacific.
Now to get some work done on this.


Cut through the stones like butter


1st panel stones are cut and need to be shaped with the dremel Diamond bit sharpers.
 
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Sounds like a great guy to talk with. My Grandfather was cherokee and build his home over an old Indian knapping sight. Very early on I became interested in knapping and played around with it for a while..

I'll defiantly take you up on that offer. Jake will be @ ISU for a while and I'll be out that wau a good bit over the next several yesrs.
 
The Diamond Ring saw is a great tool , here is a bit of the work done this week.
Cleaning out the bedding of missing stones


Getting the cut made and all stones are cut and bedded in


 
I'm not sure what amazes me more, the restoration process or the neat tools you're buying that I didn't know existed. Out of curiosity, what is a screen like this worth restored?
 
Jeb and Jim thanks for the vote of confidence. For 30 I've done thing thing out of my skill level, researched the techniques and went after the job. An old mentor once told me I was the only guy he had ever meet that could pick up any tool an master it if I put my heart in it. So I enjoy a challenge that has to be right .
 
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