[quickquestion]

I am wondering if it is possible to restore pencil marks that have been erased (washed away using a cleaning sovent) from a wood paneled wall.  Is there some sort of chemical that interacts w/ graphite, that when applied to the wall would return all the old marks that were once there.  The marks were all old (some marks were made 30 years ago, some as recent as a few months ago). Any information on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[eugenedakin]

Hello QuickQuestion,

I wish that this was an easy answer, but the answer is 'it depends'.  Graphite is easily removed by a non-polar solvent mixed with a small amount of surfactant.  

The act of writing, is essentially etching graphite into a wall or other rough surface.  If the cleaning solvent is extremely efficient, then all graphite will be removed.  If a trace amount of graphite remains, you can usually lightly spray the surface with a polar solvent (water).  The water will adhere to most surfaces but will tend to not adhere to the trace graphite.  This *may* give you an indication of the former paths of the pencil mark.  

Another method would be to thoroughly examine the dry surface.  Although the graphite may be removed, the actual lines (physical disfiguration) of the wall or paper may still have the original paths of the pencil.

I hope this helps,

Sincerely,

Eugene