MSC Leafcasters

The MSC Book & Document Leafcaster conserves and restores many items including books, printed documents, newspapers, manuscripts and works of art on paper. The MSC Book & Document Leafcaster saves labor costs over manual repairs and provides excellent results. The process creates new paper at the holes and edges, with the final size determined by the conservator. Paper pulp suspended in liquid slurry is pulled through a screen by a powerful suction motor. The filter screen prevents pulp from passing through it, leaving pulp deposits in the holes and edges. The excess water is pumped to the holding tank. The water is reusable for multiple castings. No adhesives are required. The new pulp binds to the original document, creating a uniform and stable sheet of paper. Extremely thin gossamer sheets can be cast for use on other documents. Masks define the edges of the final areas of the treated page.

Application
Leafcasting mechanically stabilizes paper weakened by holes, ragged borders, or other reasons. Clean water fills the casting tank from below the casting screen, then is slowly top filled from above the screen. The MSC Book & Document Leafcaster is designed for fast and multi-sheet repair projects. Simple manual controls mean maintenance free operation compared to leafcasting machines with hydraulic or pneumatic valves. The design of the machine allows the conservator to concentrate on the casting process, not the mechanical operation of the machine. Casting operations can be repeated as often as once a minute. Operator intervention is instantaneous at any step in the casting process. Pulp mixtures are created and calculated for each specific document. This can be done manually by counting the open squares of the lost area, or the optional MSC PageSizer Software can calculate the loss area and compute the correct slurry mixture automatically.

Acknowledgment
Special thanks go to Mr. Franklin Mowery for his unceasing guidance in this project.

Recommended equipment not Included with the MSC Book & Document Leafcaster:
• MSC Cold Suction Table - CF or MSC Direct Suction Table
• MSC PageSizer Software

Electrical
• 220-240 VAC 50/60 Hz 1Ø 3120 watt

Features
Easy set up. Only minimal assembly required. All surfaces are durable, waterproof and maintenance free. Clean with soap and water. The cabinet contains a built in casting tank and a removable holding tank. The cabinet is constructed of white high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

The Fold & Edge Caster reinforces and reintegrates the lost areas, folded areas, and edges of books, printed-paper and historic documents. The Fold & Edge Caster is a smaller casting machine for book repairs that works in the folds and edges of books or documents. The Fold & Edge Caster connects to a wet/dry vacuum cleaner located inside the cabinet (included). Casters under the cabinet provide mobility. A side door allows access to the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner pulls the pulp slurry through the object, setting the pulp into the document. Suction is needed for only a few brief seconds during each cast. Three different sized casting buckets come with each Fold & Edge Caster. Thanks to Alvaro Gonzales for his ideas during the development of this useful tool for Book Conservation.

Application
The Fold & Edge Caster repairs sheet projects quickly. It offers the unique ability to repair small parts of the document in different locations. The Fold and Edge Caster permits casting of the document one side at a time to obtain two even casts. During the casting process, the operator always maintains complete sight of the document. Each casting cycle uses only between 300 and 500 ml of water depending on the size of the lost area of paper and the pulp slurry. It provides the ideal restoration of the folded area in the folio, as well as the sawing in the binding. The dimensions of a book repaired with the machine are very close to the original size before treatment. No extra Japanese paper is needed to reinforce it for the binding.

Electrical
• 120 VAC 50/60 Hz 1Ø 1800 watt
• 220-240 VAC 50/60 Hz 1Ø 1800 watt

Description
Water and pulp slurries mix together into a “V” shaped casting tank. This slurry mixture falls through the open areas of the object. The water moves first into a plenum and then into a larger holding tank. Suction applied to the object immediately after the cast helps bond the fibers in place.

Features
Simple operation! The Fold and Edge Caster fills from the above object in small casting buckets sized for each cast. Made completely of high-density polyethylene, it is durable and non corrosive. It saves significant labor costs versus manual repairs. Operator intervention is instantaneous at any step in the casting process. Easy to use and operate. No special water connections are required. The grid support system assists in the calculation of the amount of pulp required. The vacuum cleaner is plugged into a ground fault interrupter for safety. The vacuum cleaner is removable from the cabinet and can be used separately from the Fold & Edge Caster.

User Responsibility in the Leafcasting Process
The user should become thoroughly familiar with the theory and operation of the entire system before using it to assist in the treatment of sensitive materials. Reliability tests should be performed with non sensitive materials.