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<p class="MsoNormal">This will sound a bit home-made, but among the highest-quality bendable steel wire I’ve found is that used to make coat hangers. I’ve used it in many ways, and it’s a great balance of strength, whip and formability. It’s usually coated
against rust, too. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PC<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Paul Callomon</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><br>
<i>Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates</i></span><span style="mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><br>
<i><a href="mailto:callomon@ansp.org">callomon@ansp.org</a> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#45B0E1;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">President of the American Malacological Society for 2027</span></b><b><span style="color:#45B0E1;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Benjamin Hess<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 16, 2025 1:34 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Samantha Getty <getty031@umn.edu><br>
<b>Cc:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mammal Specimen Preparation - Wire Recommendations<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-variant:small-caps;color:black">External.</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-variant:small-caps"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Sam, <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">You can get coiled wire at a cheaper cost, but pre-straightened wire is a great savings of time/effort. Pulling wire is possible, but challenging with thicker wire. In the past, I had used the following as a standard
in mammal preparation. Feel free to connect me if you have additional questions.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><br>
Ben<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Pre-straightened stainless steel wire (McMaster Carr -
<a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/127/4057/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/127/4057/</span></a> )<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Straight wire search - <a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/products/straight-wire/" target="_blank">https://www.mcmaster.com/products/straight-wire/</a> (select <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">1-ft. Straight Length Wire (0.015 - 8908K87)
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings">à</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> for small shrews<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">1-ft. Straight Length Wire (0.026 - 8908K26)
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings">à</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> for most small rodents<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">1-ft. Straight Length Wire (0.045 - 8908K48)
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings">à</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> for medium mammals<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">2-ft. Straight Length Wire (0.045 - 8908K78)
</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings">à</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> this seems to not exist now, but I used this for all longer tails.
<a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/straight-wire/length~24/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://www.mcmaster.com/straight-wire/length~24/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I would recommend another thicker and longer wire for bigger items. Nickel Copper Alloy (Monel) wire is also good as it is non-conductive and non-corrosive.
<a href="https://www.mcmaster.com/straight-wire/length~3-ft-/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://www.mcmaster.com/straight-wire/length~3-ft-/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">On Tue, Sep 16, 2025 at 12:55<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span>PM Samantha Getty <<a href="mailto:getty031@umn.edu" target="_blank">getty031@umn.edu</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Hello all,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">My name is Sam and I am the specimen preparator for the Bell Museum. We have been struggling to find suitable (modern) wire for our mammal specimens. Our wire stash is decades old and is running low. Everything
I have purchased to try is too flexible and does not pull properly. Does anyone have any recommendations on what type or brand of wire to use and where to source it?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Sam Getty<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span class="gmailsignatureprefix">--
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Sam Getty (she/her)<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Zoological Museum Curatorial Research Associate<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">Bell Museum<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">University of Minnesota<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><a href="https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/salvage-wildlife/" target="_blank">https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/salvage-wildlife/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">_______________________________________________<br>
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NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
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Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Benjamin M. Hess | EEB Museums Registrar | EEB Museums Safety Representative to the RMC </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">University of Michigan | LSA Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | Research Museums Center</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48108-2228</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="mailto:bmhess@umich.edu" target="_blank">bmhess@umich.edu</a> | 734-764-2432</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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