[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Re: Historic jars gasket

[Simon Moore]

I will add my pennyworth to say that silicone sealant does work really well if you choose the correct grade which is quite thin or flowable. It makes a perfect seal BUT as Dirk points out, is difficult to reverse and I often have to resort to a sharp-edged spatula.  It is reversible however after 24 hours but in such user-unfriendly solvents as chloroform and dimethyl chloride!

With all good wishes, Simon

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

www.natural-history-conservation.com


> On 5 Feb 2024, at 18:16, Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de> wrote:
> 
> Hi Laura,
> 
> the 3 mm gap between the lid and the neck of the jar is not the problem, unless the stopper itself fits nicely into the joint and the contact surfaces / diameters of the neck-joint and the stopper fit (i.e. the stopper would not wobble in the joint). Even then, you could use slightly more Alsirol to fit the stopper in the slightly wider opening, because the Alsirol - compared e.g. to Vaseline, is rather stable and would not start flowing down.
> 
> Silicon and other sealants like putty are hard to remove and not so easily "reversible". The contact surface of the joint should be long enough to make a good closure, an additional gasket is not required in my view.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> with best wishes
> Dirk
> 
> 
> Am 05.02.2024 um 18:57 schrieb Callomon,Paul:
>> ACHTUNG/ATTENTION: Diese E-Mail stammt von einem externen Absender. / This e-mail comes from an external sender.
>> 
>> Hi Laura,
>> 
>> Those look like Whittall-Tatum jars, made here in Philadelphia. We have them in our collection. We have successfully sealed these jars with silicon caulk in the past, but certain of its curing products - such as acetic acid - could affect the fluid. One material that has been used to cut gaskets is neoprene, and butyl rubber sheet might also be fine, especially if you thinly coat both glass faces with non-setting vacuum grease. If you do use caulk, use very little pressure on the clamp as without a gasket you could crack the lid through overtightening or even temperature changes. 
>> 
>> Our iconic Walter the Octopus is in a large 25-gallon WT jar whose lid is stuck on with silicon (no clamp could be found) and it's held for 23 years so far. 
>> 
>> 
>> Paul Callomon
>> Collection Manager, Malacology and General InvertebratesAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
>> callomon at ansp.org Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170
>> 
>>  From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Laura Rincón <collectionslitclub at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 12:19 PM
>> To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
>> Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Historic jars gasket
>>  External.
>> Hello everybody,
>> 
>> I've been reading some thread emails about sealants in historic jars, but I can't find what the best way to close these jars is (see photos attached). I was planning to get Alsirol, but then I realized that there is a 3 mm. space between the rim and lid. The "best" will be a gasket, but I'm not sure if there are proper gaskets for these jars.
>> 
>> I would appreciate your recommendations or advice.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> -- 
>> Laura A. Rincón R. |  Museum Studies professional
>> Museum Specialist
>> Division of Invertebrate Zoology
>> American Museum of Natural History
>> Central Park West at 79th Street
>> New York, NY 10024
>>  https://collectionslitclub.wordpress.com/
>>  “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou
>> 
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> 
> -- 
> ****
>  Dirk Neumann
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>  Postal address:
> Museum of Nature Hamburg
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
> of Biodiversity Change
> Dirk Neumann
> Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
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> www.leibniz-lib.de
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>  
> -- 
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
> 
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst
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> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.