<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Chances are that you do not need any grease at all on the seal. Before you add anything, you should check to see if the seal is good. To do this, first wash the jar and the lid with soap to remove any residue. Then fill the jar with 70% (no specimens) and insert the lid. Either mark the fluid level, weigh the jar + lid + contents, or both. After 24 hr (to give the lid time to settle) put the jar into a tub or sink that you can fill with water, starting at tap temperature, then gradually increasing until you reach the average temperature of your collection storage area (do NOT use very hot water, keep the temperature at what the jar will be subjected to in storage). You should know within a few days if it leaks or not.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">When I was at the California Academy of Sciences we had thousands of similar jars in use. Most of the older ones had lids that were ground to fit the opening of the jar, which mean that if you got the right jar and lid combination, they did not leak, but if lids were switched around between jars, they often did.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">If the jar does leak, follow Simon's advice and use Alsirol.<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">To remove these sorts of lids when they are stuck, try rocking the lid back and forth or tapping the handle part of the lid <u>gently</u> with a piece of wood, or <u>gently</u> tapping around the mouth of the jar (use a piece of wood and tap gently to avoid breaking the glass). If neither of those techniques works, you can put the jar in a sink, add warm water, and gradually increase the temperature until the internal jar pressure pushed the lid open--the drawback to this is that you will heat up the alcohol inside the jar which will speed up deterioration reactions in your specimens.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">The other means to get the lids off is to purchase the Universal Stopper/Opener sold by Alcomon. The device is expensive, but works well: <a href="https://alcomon.com/about/">https://alcomon.com/about/</a></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">--John</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">John E. Simmons<br>Writer and Museum Consultant</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Museologica<br><i>and</i><br>Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br>Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</span></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, May 3, 2024 at 4:09 PM Kathy Omura <<a href="mailto:komura@nhm.org">komura@nhm.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>I have not worked with these types of jars and was wondering what to use on the lids so they can be reopened. The jar will be holding a wet preserved (70% EtOH) specimen.</div><div>I heard vaseline on the ground glass part of the lid and jar makes it easier to reopen.</div><div>To make a tight seal, after the vaseline application, seal the lid with wax along the edge.</div><div>What other options do I have? I appreciate any help you can provide.</div><div>Kathy</div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Kathy Omura, Collection Manager<br>Marine Biodiversity Center<br>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County<br>(213) 763-3386<br></div></div></div>
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