A dealer drops off a tortoise shell box for repair. The top is cracked and one side is tented up 1/8 in. above the other side. I used a commercial heat gun and it softened the raised part enough that I could press it back in place. A few drops of white glue in the seam and left it to dry over night. There were sterling silver letters inside the box. I lay them out and can't figure what they say. I know there is no "d" in hankerchief and the first two letters look like "he" - nothing makes sense ! Maybe it's the ladies initials ? maybe words or letters missing. The letters "a-n-d" look like different text than the rest - maybe it's what's left from a partially missing word. So I ask my wife what she thinks - of course she says handkerchief and lovingly reminds me how I wasted my time in school. Anyway I filled the crack in with timbermate. Didn't want to use anything too strong and non-reversible on an antique. I'll color the filler with shellac + trans tint - adding earth-tone pigments to make the final semi opaque color while trying to copy the translucent shell - final top coat with lacquer just along the filled line. The repair won't prevent someone from removing the top - fusing it back together and relaying it flat.
I'm sure the letters a-n-d were replaced at some point and although not done too badly - no where as nice as the original silversmith workmanship.
Thank goodness for the endangered protections today - the animal is safe ........ there are great faux plastic alternatives available if splices are needed in this kind of restoration.
SA