[Nhcoll-l] Putty For Sealing Jars

[Simon Moore]

Hi James,

I have two main sealants, then older gelatine sealant was found in an old NHM Day Book back in the 1880s and it still works well and is easily reversible. Write to me if you want the recipe and technique.

The other is a silicone which is very effective and long-lasting but is difficult to reverse. So, if the jars are for long0-term storage only then the silicone might be the answer, else if they’re being looked at by scientific visitors then I would suggest the gelatine.

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,

www.natural-history-conservation.com




> On 11 Jan 2023, at 12:09, James Maclaine <j.maclaine at nhm.ac.uk> wrote:
> 
> Dear all,
>  
> Happy New Year!
>  
> Hope someone can help with a large jar sealing question.  In the past we have used a kind of putty (made by Arboseal) to seal flat glass plates to the top of some of our largest jars and containers.  This was especially useful in the case of some of the older jars where the top is not completely flat and the putty could fill in the gaps.  It isn’t an ideal solution (and makes opening the jar a bit of a chore) and in some cases the putty has hardened and cracked but on the whole it has fairly effectively slowed down evaporation over several decades.   
>  
> However, in the cases where the old putty has to be replaced I can no longer find the same brand for sale online, so can anyone tell me where I can purchase something similar and reliable that I could use for this?  Or ideally, let me know of a better way of sealing a flat lid on an uneven jar top (please don’t suggest stretching parafilm over it!). 
>  
> As these are large containers for specimens that would be difficult to find alternative storage for (see attached), I’d like to keep using them if possible.  They would also be prohibitively expensive to replace.
>  
> Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
>  
> Cheers,
>  
> James
>  
>  
>  
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