How to Make Klucel-G Leather Consolidant

The hard part, if you want to make your own Klucel-G Mix is getting the ingredients. After that it is easy! I made this course for the intrepid folk out there who like to do it all themselves and for my international students. I do not ship internationally and so they will be able to order the Klucel -G powder through Talas (because they do ship internationally) or other suppliers and then get the necessary 99.8% or 99.9% isopropyl alcohol locally through a local pharmacy or industrial supplier.

Step by Step Instructions
9 minute of Video

Warning Alcohol is flammable!! Don’t get the Klucel or the isopropanol near any heat source. Mix it in a well-ventilated area.

You cannot ship such flammable substances except in small quantities via ground shipping only and they must be marked as such.

PERPETUAL CAVEAT: Never repair rare and/or scarce books. When in doubt only do preservation treatments and consult an accredited professional.

Steps in the lesson:

Gather Tools and Materials
Mis-en-place
Blend, wait, blend
Let sit overnight
Package

If you feel overwhelmed after following the lesson you can just buy the Klucel Mix here!

Once you have made the klucel what can you do with it? Here are some of its uses:

Consolidate Red Rot.
Protect abraded areas on leather.
Help make Vellum repairs done with Japanese tissue and PVA more invisible.
When used with Japanese tissue it can be a temporary preservation measure for damaged leather or book-cloth or paper especially to help remove spines or illustrated hinges in one piece.

Here is a Free Course on how to apply Klucel-G to Leather.