<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Paul's advice is very good, but handle even the small ones (and indeed, all old glassware) very carefully. The degree of thinning of soda-lime glass depends on the amount alkali components that are extracted from the glass. High relative humidity in storage will accelerate thinning, as will repeated wetting and drying of the glassware; the solvent the glassware contains is also a factor.<br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">--John<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">John E. Simmons<br>Museologica<br>128 E. Burnside Street<br>Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010<br><a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" target="_blank">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a><br>303-681-5708<br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com&d=AwMFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=1AA3ZCfP6Cv4kq_XGWgKeXZG33CAmvlM0Mjza4ny3jc&s=VVOB18b4LWPgQwPmWZ_qNBylu20D2yUa6eSeDdCPUak&e=" target="_blank">www.museologica.com</a><br>and<br>Adjunct Curator of Collections<br>Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>Penn State University<br>University Park, Pennsylvania<br>and<br>Instructor, Museum Studies<br>School of Library and Information Science<br>Kent State University<br>and<br>Lecturer in Art<br>Juniata College<br>Huntingdon, Pennsylvania<br></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Mar 20, 2015 at 3:44 PM, Callomon,Paul <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:prc44@drexel.edu" target="_blank">prc44@drexel.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Finally, NEVER carry them by the clamp bow; always support them underneath.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Paul Callomon</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
<i>Collection Manager, Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates</i></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia</span></b><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black">1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><br>
<i><a href="mailto:callomon@ansp.org" target="_blank">callomon@ansp.org</a> Tel <a href="tel:215-405-5096" value="+12154055096" target="_blank">215-405-5096</a> - Fax <a href="tel:215-299-1170" value="+12152991170" target="_blank">215-299-1170</a></i></span><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> <a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Nancy Glover McCartney<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 20, 2015 2:55 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] old glass containers<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">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.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Should I attempt to open and replace fluid? If so, how? What precautions?
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">An earlier query 10 years or so ago said just to leave them alone, but maybe there is different advice now.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">I'd appreciate some doable suggestion.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">My thanks in advance, as always.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Nancy Glover McCartney, PhD<br>
Curator of Zoology<br>
UA Collections Facility<br>
120 BIOMASS<br>
University of Arkansas<br>
2435 Hatch<br>
Fayetteville AR 72701<br>
<br>
Phone: <a href="tel:479-575-4370" value="+14795754370" target="_blank">479-575-4370</a><br>
Fax: <a href="tel:479-575-7464" value="+14795757464" target="_blank">479-575-7464</a><br>
<br>
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__museum.uark.edu_index.php&d=AwMFAw&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=x9k-TlzFJTAsCvPqLBttnPE62-CZDhXIe_QpULlzVAY&s=rMQz_Pq_fBnJQlAvHjK9usJ_CkBwU0Svrpt8DG40zRo&e=" target="_blank">http://museum.uark.edu/index.php</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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