[NHCOLL-L:5417] RE: Vintage sealants on fluid specimen containers?

[A.J.van_Dam at lumc.nl]

Dear Judith,

Since you probably don't want affect the rest of the original seal by applying heat, you might want to repair it with Shell Tixophalte, a cold hardening bitumen (suitable for formalin and glycerin preserved specimens / not suitable for ethanol preserved specimens).
A soft sticky dark microcrystalline wax (moldable by hand) might also be a good alternative.

Regards,


Andries J. van Dam, conservator

Museum of Anatomy
Leiden University Medical Center
Postal zone T7-P
P.O.Box 9600
2300 RC Leiden
The Netherlands
tel: +31 (0)71 526 9581
fax: +31 (0)71 526 8275
E-mail: A.J.van_Dam at lumc.nl
Visiting address: Hippocratespad 21, building 3



Scientific collection manager, Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis

http://www.ncbnaturalis.nl/en/



Associate scientist, Natural History Museum, London
http://www.nhm.ac.uk<http://www.nhm.ac.uk/>


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http://www.icom-cc.org<http://www.icom-cc.org/>

Director Alcomon Company
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________________________________
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Judith Price
Sent: vrijdag 6 mei 2011 17:02
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:5406] Vintage sealants on fluid specimen containers?

A friend at another museum is asking for advice on a specimen borrowed for exhibit from another institution (hence my cagey discretion!)

The item in question is an early 20th century anatomical preparation in a glass container sealed with a black material. A corner of the sealant has chipped, and he is concerned as to how he could repair the area in time for the exhibit. It sounds to me like an asphaltum sealing compound (I'll get a better look later today). Anyone know of what those arcane mixtures were composed, and whether he could patch it with wax, tinted or otherwise?

Thanks
Judith

Judith C. Price
Secretary, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
Assistant Collections Manager, Invertebrates / Gestionnaire adjointe des collections invertébrés
Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la Nature
PO Box 3443 Station D / CP 3443 Succ <<D>>
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4 CANADA

Tel.613.566.4263 / Fax.613.364.4027

jprice at mus-nature.ca<mailto:jprice at mus-nature.ca>

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