Alpaca Skin Hanging - old and coming apart at the seams

I've got a gorgeous alpaca skin hanging that I got in Peru in 1976. It's been rolled up for years, largely because I never really came up with an adequate way to hang it. I realized that this is idiotic & I want to hang it before I croak, but it's starting to get weak & come apart at the seams.

how can I restore/prop up this so I can hang it? I was wondering if one can sorta glue it to some backing & hang that --it'd take care of the stress on the seams that I worried about, which kept me from hanging it in the first (10 thousand) place(s).

Or...any other recommendations?
sorry if the pix aren't the greatest!

Thanks for sharing with us this beautiful work of art – pictures #3 show a musician on flute.

Is picture #1 showing us missing pieces or rip?

Picture #2 shows where the problem lies – its original fatliquor has diminishes, evaporates into the atmosphere that result in these observation. T
1. It has shrink and wrinkle just like autumn leaves and refuse to lay flat.
2. Stitch tearing, dryness reduces tensile strength.


>>> how can I restore?

In restoration, we are referring to the skin side. A supple skin side will resist the hair or wool from detaching from the skin when the wool or hair needs to be groom or comb. Depending on the tanning type, alum tanning is not considered a true tanning especially the non-washable type. However, any waterbased solution that is necessary to rejuvenate the skin side is only saturating it with no rinsing or leaching out, so that the tanning agent remains with the skin. Rejuvenating system for the skin sides is based on two products Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 system, first the skin is hydrated to its original dimension and then fatliquor is replenished as the water contents evaporates at interval until the skin retains its original dimension when dry with suppleness. When this strengthening of the skin is accomplished we may proceed to stitching it up. Never, never put a backing to the skin if it very necessary only done with light stitching for the next rejuvenating cycle. If done 2 – 3 yearly (depends on humidity – some areas are done every 6 months). This work of art will be there for the next hundreds of years.

For both sides cleaning and rejuvenating this is the recommended kit – Kit H4

Depends how you will like to do it, we can continue when you are ready.

Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com


Product information from this link:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...-Kit-H4/Detail

Attachment 2580

Leather Doctor Kit H4 – Hair-on-Hide Care Kit

Leather Doctor® Kit H4, hair-on-hide care kit is an innovative leather-safe (pH 3 - 5) system designed for keeping zebra / cowhide at their highest level of appearance, enhancing their softness and strength and prevents premature ageing. The tell tale sign of hide starving for fat and oil is the creases, wrinkles and fold lines during shipping or storage that fail to make the rug lay flat. As the hides are almost returning to rawhide with lack of fat and oil it becomes noisy as the fiber becomes stick together. The reverse suede side, which we do not see, is vital in producing a pleasing appearance and need to be relaxed and soften up. Rejuvenating the suede side is accomplished by Hydrator-3.3 first to relax and separate the stick together fiber prior to fat and oil replenishing. Fatliquor-5.0 with its fat plumps the suede and the oil lubricate for softness without darkening effect. A well-rejuvenated hide will lie as flat without curls to the edges is a job well done. Cleaning to the suede side is performed with Clean-3.8 follows with Rinse-3.0 using a suede Brush-3 / Eraser-5 and towel extract. The hair side is clean with Clean-5.5 follows with Rinse-4.0 towel extracts and groom with suede Brush-3. Protector-3+ imparts is silky-feel rub-resistant to lubricates the hair from abrasion wear when the hair is rubbed and a non-stick properties to shield the hair from silky soiling as a preventive care. Moreover, it diffuses a classic leather scent to charm. Note that the mentioned product suffix number denotes its pH value in this leather-safe holistic care system for hair-on-hide.
Instruction:

Hair-on-Hide (Suede Side Cleaning):
The objective of this process is to remove general surface soiling.
1st phase – Dry Soil Removal:
1. Vacuum off foreign soiling with help of Suede Brush-3.
2. Exfoliate to renew fresh nap with help of Suede Eraser-5, follows with vacuum cleaner.
2nd phase – Wet Soil Removal:
1. Apply Cleaner-3.8 and agitate with Brush-3/Eraser-5 and towel extract until it shows clean.
2. Spray Rinse-3.0 and towel extract to a squeaky clean.
3. Let natural drying and wick-up soiling is erased with Eraser-5 prior to hydrating.
3rd phase – Hydrating:
Hydrating is to relax the skin of stiffness from diminishing fatliquor. Fatliquor diminishes as the skin ages, accelerated when expose to direct heat and evaporates as VOC (volatile organic compound). Stiffness is common from a water damage situation too, when fatliquor leaches out, and when it becomes dry again the fibrils becomes stick together. Hydrating is to precondition the skin for an effective fat and oil replenishing; it helps to relax and separate the stick together fibrils and opens up the inter-fibrillary spaces for effective colloidal water movement within the leather structure. It facilitates to wick-up foreign contamination to be towel extracted when damp and erased when crispy dry. It plumps the leather to ease away the unnatural creases and wrinkles. It stabilizes the pH integrity of the skin and charges the skin protein fiber ionic positive below its iso-electric point (pI) to hydrogen bond with the ionic negative fatliquor more effectively. It is recommended therefore to hydrate the skin to an optimum level, with moistures oozing out when gently pressed between thumb and fingers. Prolong dwell time will maximize the effects with the help of covering with clear plastic to prevent evaporation.
1. Spray Hydrator-3.3 with foam brush control to hydrate the entire thickness of the leather; extract with dry absorbent white terry towel to inspect for an even appearance without blotchiness and it is ready for immediate fat and oil replenishing.
4th phase – Fat and Oil Replenishing:
Fatliquor an emulsion of fat and oil originally introduces to the skin to impart it desirous suppleness continues to diminish through evaporation as the skin ages, accelerated when exposed to heat. It diminishes through leaching as well in a non leather-safe solution, manifest as stiffness when the skin becomes dry again. Replenishing is done with “fatliquor-in-a-bottle” as a spray-on instead of the original immersion method. Fatliquor, the lifeblood of leathers derived from fats, oils and water. Looks like fresh milk, when applies penetrates the leather and hydrogen bond with the skin protein fiber. The fat plumps the skin with fullness, the oil lubricates the individual fibrils and the encasing water breaks free leaving the inter-fibrillary spaces void for transpiration. Effective fatliquoring will leave a non-greasy or non-oily surface when dry. Besides softening the skin with flatness, fatliquor enhances its rip tensile strength greatly. It relaxes coarse breaks, creases and wrinkles and prevents cracking. It helps to keep the skin at its optimum physical performance and prevent premature ageing.
1. Spray Fatliquor-5.0, with foam brush control for an even appearance.
2. Repeat application in between drying as the water contents evaporates until it’s saturated.
3. The fully saturated leather is left for slow natural drying for extra softness.
4. Use Eraser-4 to remove wicks up residue and inspect for visual satisfaction.

Hair-on-Hide (Hair Side Cleaning)
The objective of this process is to remove general surface soiling with a non-stick, rub-resistant protection.
1st phase – Dry Soil Removal:
1. Vacuum off foreign soiling with help of Suede Brush-3.
2nd phase – Wet Soil Removal:
1. Apply Cleaner-5.5, brush along the lay of hair in one direction and towel extract until it shows clean.
2. Spray Rinse-4.0 and towel extract to a squeaky clean. 3. Let natural drying and dry towel wipe of wick-up soiling.
3rd phase – Non-Stick, Rub-Resistant Protection:
1. Shake well, mist spray Protector-S+ evenly and brush-in with towel to pick up soiling at the same time.
2. When dry thereafter groom with suede Brush-3 for best appearance and it is ready for use.

Wow! That's what I call a reply! Thank you, Roger, i had no idea there was such specialized formulae around.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roger Koh

Is picture #1 showing us missing pieces or rip?

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There aren't any pieces missing; that's the largest section where the hide has parted company with the seams (right at the focal center, naturally :()
i;m going to have to take some time & properly read your reply...I'm getting ready to move next week, & am crazed.
hm. I don't suppose there's somewhere to send it off to have it repaired, is there? I could have it sent on to the next house, than it wouldn't get stuffed into another box for who knows how long.
I can't imagine, even approximately, what that kind of thing would cost.....? are we talking hundreds, or thousands?

>>> I don't suppose there's somewhere to send it off to have it repaired, is there?
This is a simple stitching repairs and anyone that knows how to hand stitch with a curve needle will be able to do it for you.


>>> I can't imagine, even approximately, what that kind of thing would cost.....? are we talking hundreds, or thousands?

Price for starter Kit H4 is found in this link:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...-Kit-H4/Detail

Refills for Hydrator-3.3 found in this link:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...ing/Categories

And Fatliquor-5.0 refill from this link:
http://www.leatherdoctor.com/servlet...%29/Categories