[NHCOLL-L:2262] RE: FW: wet collections - jar sealing tape

Mon Apr 26 16:07:11 EDT 2004

Janet,
    Thanks for the compilation of responses for Taping Jars. 

    Note that the specs for the tape we purchase from Spectape are
essentially the same as those of the 3M sealing tape, but the price is much,
much lower at Spectape, with a better choice of colors.

    I also wanted to add that the use of Parafilm has not been so successful
here. It was used in the 80's and early 90's in one of our fluid-preserved
collection and for jars containing type specimens. In general, these jars
showed greater evaporation than those without Parafilm (i.e. with
Polypropylene lids with ot without liner). The reason appears to be simple:
after you apply the Parafilm on the threads, you screw on the lid but the
Parafilm does not stay uniformaly applied to the threads. My observations
show that it ripes in places as you screw on the lid, leaving gaps in the
seal and allowing greater evaporation. The addition of Parafilm on and
around the lid does not seem to help, and creates quite a mess after a few
years, as the Parafilm adheres very well to the glass. 

    I believe the best (and affordable) solution is still the use of
Polypropylene lids with F217 liners and the Sealing Tape.

Best regards.

Jean-Marc

Jean-Marc Gagnon

Gestionnaire en chef / Chief Collection Manager

Collection des Invertébrés / Invertebrate Section

Musée canadien de la nature / Canadian Museum of Nature

Boîte postale 3443, Succ. D / P.O. Box 3443, Station D

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 6P4

Tel.: (613) 364-4066

Télécopieur / Fax: (613) 364-4027

courriel / e-mail:  <mailto:jmgagnon at mus-nature.ca> jmgagnon at mus-nature.ca

Site web / Web site:  <http://www.nature.ca/> www.nature.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: janet gillette [mailto:jgillette at MNA.mus.az.us] 
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 2:19 PM
To: NHCOLL-L (NHCOLL-L at LISTS.YALE.EDU)
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:2261] FW: wet collections - jar sealing tape

Dear SPNHC list:

Thanks for all the responses to my question regarding the use of jar sealing
tape with fluid preserved collections.  Many people asked me to forward
comments as they too were interested in hearing the responses.  Below are
the replies cut & pasted into a single document.

Thanks again for all your help.

Cheers,

Janet

Janet Whitmore Gillette

Museum of Northern Arizona

3101 N. Fort Valley Rd.

Flagstaff, AZ  86001

(928) 774-5211 ext. 265

_________________________________________________________________________

From:  Garnet Muething [GMuething at mus-nature.ca]

Hello Janet,

I work for the Conservation Section at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Unfortunately 3M stopped making the tape referred to in Michele Steigerwald
and Sylvie Laframboise's paper so we found an alternate product.  Here is
the information for it:

Description:       polypropylene tape with acryclic adhesive

Item No.:           ST-408C (blue) - there are other colours available

Company:         Spectape Inc.

2771 Circleport Drive, Erlanger, KY 41018

Phone:              (859) 283-2044

Fax:                  (859) 283-2068

Please let me know if you need any other information,

Garnet Muething

Conservation Technician, Collections Services

Musée canadien de la nature/Canadian Museum of Nature
C.P. 3443, Succ. D              /P.O. Box 3443, Stn D
Ottawa, ON
K1P 1P4

Tel.:  (613)364-4098
Fax:  (613)364-4027
gmuething at mus-nature.ca

____________________________________________________________________________
__________

From: museum.bamz [museum.bamz at mail.ibl.bm]

Hi Janet,

I was wondering what response you had from NHCOLL about the tape. I 

want to use tape in my collection to reduce evaporation and was just 

about to do some investigating re. tape sources myself.

Coincidentally, I just received the SPNHC newsletter and the cover 

story is on the use of that tape but they have it listed as 3M 

product #8086 (not 5086).

If you could let me know what you found out I would be really 

appreciative. I'm sorry that I don't have more to contribute at this 

point.

Cheers,

Lisa Greene,

Collections Manager.

Bermuda Natural History Museum

PO Box FL 145, Flatts FLBX

Bermuda

T (441) 293-2727 x 124

F (441) 293-3176

_______________________________________________________________________

From: Nancy_Russell at nps.gov

Hi, Janet

I bought the 3M #8086 builders sealing tape from EFI (Energy Federation
Incorporated). Their number is 800-876-0660 or you can order online at
www.efi.org <outbind://32/www.efi.org> 

The tape is about $15 a roll. I could only find the wide tape, in red. This
tape was recommended to me by Cathy Hawks, conservator, who conducted our
wet specimen collection condition survey last August.

I hope this helps!

Nancy

Nancy J Russell

Museum Curator

South Florida Collection Management Center

Everglades National Park

40001 State Road 9336

Homestead, FL 33034

phone (305) 242-7826

fax (305) 242-7836

___________________________________________________________________

From: Darrel E. Snyder [desnyder at cnr.colostate.edu]

Janet, 

        I'm not familiar with the tape suggested by Steigerwald and
Laframboise (1996), but I do manage a collection of fluid-preserved
specimens and have a few suggestions.  When starting with new containers,
consider vials with polyseal caps, small and medium size jars using caps
with Teflon or polyethylene liners, and for larger jars, canning jars with
clamp-type glass lids and rubber or plastic gaskets.  Although these
containers still need to be periodically checked for fluid loss (usually due
to loose lids, cracked gaskets, or imperfections on the glass edge that
contacts the sealing material of the lid), they are very effective in
preventing evaporative loses.  For older containers with threaded caps,
consider using Teflon plumbers tape on the threaded surface before applying
the cap (this white film-like tape is available in hardware stores).  I also
"Parafilm" (American National Can of Chicago), a flexible, moldable
(stretchable), self-sealing laboratory film (the same stuff chemical and
biological laboratories to temporarily cover and seal flasks, beakers and
petri dishes).   I've stretched the film over jar tops, including the
threads, before putting on the lids, or cut strips and just stretched them
around the threads before putting on the lids (much like the Teflon plumbers
tape).  I have also effectively stretched Parafilm strips around the outside
of the lid (or stopper) and adjacent glass surface which seals the
containers as well or even better than applying melted paraffin wax..

I hope you find these suggestions useful.

Darrel

______________________________________________________________________

From: llovell at sio.ucsd.edu

Janet,

It is advised to begin by using good jar lids.  At SIO we have had very good
success with the polypropylene jar lids with the F217 liner, which is Teflon
coated with a foam backing.  This allows for a good seal on the rim of the
jar.  Taping is not necessary with these lids.  They cost a little more, but
are worth it.  If you have the old black Bakilite lids throw them out or
tape them.  Electrical tape is sometimes used, but there must be better
tape.  Perhaps someone else will have tape suggestions.

Larry Lovell

Sr. Collection Manager

Benthic Invertebrate Collection

______________________________________________________________________

>From Nelson Rios [nelson at museum.tulane.edu]

Janet,

Our herp collection uses Parafilm to seal the jars prior to screwing on
lids.  This seems to work very well.

Nelson

______________________________________________________________________

From: Gordon Jarrell [fnghj at uaf.edu]

We have bought it at building supply stores.  It's used to seal vapor 

barriers, important in subarctic climates, and works well when correctly 

applied.

G.

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