Copper Firebadge
Feb, 2022
Firebadge, as an fire insurance identification mark, was used to placed to the front of an insured building served as a guide for the fire brigade. This is a typical fire mark produced by the Phoenix Company, adopted for the emblem of the company which is a mythical bird, a phoenix, rising from the flames. Phoenix is a creature supposed to be periodically consumed by fire but reborn from its ashes. This signifies the rebirth of the property after the loss and symbolize resurrection.
Condition before treatment
The tip of the spear was snapped. Serveral accrections including the verdigris, black copper oxide evenly spreading on the badge andold adhesive on the back.
Treatment Goal
Cleaning the firebadge: Not to clean the black surface (ethical consideration). Only cleaning the styrene-based adhesive and the powdery accretion
Adhering the broken spear tip
Inpainting areas in different colour
Mechanical Cleaning
Mechanical removing the old adhesive and other contaminations
Brush cleaning the powdery dust and residuals
Adhering snapped spear tip
As the snap surface is so thin, the adhesion is assisted by a temporary back support, a barrier of japanese tissue with Paraloid B72 40%
Then, applying epoxy resin as the adhesive at the front (araldite AY103 mixed with AY956 hardener)
After the epoxy bond is set, the temporary back support was removed by acetone
Tidy up the bonding: Saw and trim the excessed adhesive to fit in a correct shape
Inpainting
As a different colour resulted after the removal of old adhesive, inpainting to a correct colour was caried out
Inpaint with acrylic paint mixed with some pigment powder: give the grainy texture, making a homogeneous surface
Also, inpaint the joint of the spear tip (inpaint the epoxy resin)
UV light testing
The polymer glows under the UV light