Hello All,

Please excuse the cross posting.

Do you have any experience with using neoprene - for instance as padding under heavy sculptures? 

I am working on a heavy marble effigy (500 lb) that is going inside the client’s home. We are searching for some type of padding for underneath the stone that is dense enough to not be crushed but still give it some cushion. The bottom of the marble is a little uneven so I was hoping to find something that would help distribute the weight and help relieve any point pressure. 

We found that McMaster Carr carries the a various types of Neoprene. There is a white “food grade” neoprene rubber sheet that may work for our needs, provided the it won’t react with the marble in some way or start degrading after a couple of years. 

Since this is a marble my initial concern is with any color transfer or other reaction to the stone even with a barrier layer. The other is how stable it would be in the long term as it could be there for some years.

I am also looking at the 9# ethafoam as an option - but it has a much lower psi rating and hard to know how much it will compact over time. Unfortunately epoxy putty is not an option in this circumstance.

Is there another material you all recommend like Sorbothane...?

Thanks,

Harvey Newman

Hi Harvey,

You might want to check out a food-grade silicone rubber product that McMaster-Carr sells:

https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/124/3662

It has passed our Oddy tests and doesn't leach.

Best,

BJ Farrar

Sr. Mountmaker

Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation

Getty Museum

Los Angeles