Cold water gently ran over the boards for about 2 minutes. I then couldn't quite decide how to dry it - flat, on an angle or against the radiator? Did I need slow steady drying or fast so that the glue dried without running away? I chose to leave it to dry on a low angle in my sunny dining room. And the next day I looked and was disappointed - it was dark and had lost a lot of it's definition - all my hard work with colour selection and shading appeared to be lost but the shape had remained. There weren't any holes - it was fairly solid - no organic form as had been expected, perhaps another disappointment. Usually impatient, I decided that this time I really had to wait and think before I started taking the pins out.
After two days away at work, I made the decision to try and wash the engine again. Perhaps it was dark because I had left too much glue in it. But it was quite firm and if I re- washed it I would lose this strength and then have a potential problem with framing. Again, a short wash of about 1 minute and then left to dry overnight. I was relieved to see that it was slightly lighter but it still wasn't showing every detail. Was I aiming too high, would I get that detail back?
And the final wash, well that has to be it. The colour is now near perfect but I have lost a bit of the strength in the structure and framing is now going to be tricky. The plan is to have a test frame made as used in my previous pieces of work, but instead of using monofilament to suspend the work, it is going to need a piece of perspex or glass to support it in the middle of the frame. But I must make sure that there is a lot of space because I don't want the frame to distract from the delicate stitch.
Below is some audio of the conversation that occurred during the pinning of the work to the loft board.
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