[Bell Historians] Re: Restoring Peal Boards

[Dickon Love]

> What experiences do people have about restoring boards? We have 
received a
> quote from a local signwriter to strip the board's surface and 
recreate the
> lettering...

Don't do that! You want a careful conservator to remove the varnish - it
is the varish that will have gone black. Once that is removed, the paint
underneath should glow through nicely. If it is gold leaf, it will look
good as new. Get the expert to do this. It will take a long long time
using the right concentration of solvent and cotton wool buds, etc.
Worthwhile though.

DrL