[Nhcoll-l] old glass containers

[Callomon,Paul]

Those are Whittall Tatum jars, made here in Philadelphia and at least 80 years old. The bigger the size, the more fragile they are; I have a ten-gallon one that we handle very carefully indeed.
The smaller ones are pretty tough, though, and I've used the half-gallon size for years. They are made of soda glass and will crizzle in time, but are thick enough that it won't weaken them significantly.
You can cut new gaskets from neoprene sheet, but we make do with archival plastic foam sheet with a thin film of vacuum grease on both sides. You hand-tighten the clamp until you see the seal form all round the lid, then check up on them periodically.
Finally, NEVER carry them by the clamp bow; always support them underneath.


Paul Callomon
Collection Manager, Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
________________________________
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
callomon at ansp.org<mailto:callomon at ansp.org> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170



From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy Glover McCartney
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 2:55 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] old glass containers

I have several old glass containers housing fish, herps, inverts, etc. that are getting very low on fluid. I expect the containers are pretty brittle, as a gar with a giant lobster broke with almost no provocation and spewed formalin all over: not a process I want to repeat.  I don't have any idea what these specimens are stored in.

I have attached a few pix of fish and the screw down tops that appear to have parafilm  or an ancient rubber around the lid; some of the smaller containers have what may be beeswax holding in a stopper.

Should I attempt to open and replace fluid?  If so, how? What precautions?

An earlier query 10 years or so ago said just to leave them alone, but maybe there is different advice now.

I'd appreciate some doable suggestion.

My thanks in advance, as always.

Nancy Glover McCartney, PhD
Curator of Zoology
UA Collections Facility
120 BIOMASS
University of Arkansas
2435 Hatch
Fayetteville AR 72701

Phone: 479-575-4370
Fax: 479-575-7464

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