Update: Drooping wings

[Bruce Walsh]

Many thanks for all for both their public postings and their private emails
directly to me.  An excellent use of this list and the collective 
wisdom of the
cyber-lepsters (I think I'll trade-mark this term).

Summary (so far):  5-15 degree angled boards.  Many like these, but they also
keep a reasonable fraction of material with up-drooped wings!  My reaction:
pass, although others swear by this approach.

Best suggestion/general consensus:  An equilibrium issue.  The oven over-dries
things, so that the material draws in moisture once out of the oven.
Suggestion:  Use the oven trick, then leave material still on the boards for
1-2 days after the oven.  Nice way to split the difference between time saving
and quality of material

I agree with Chris that heated material can be greasy, esp. those killed with
Ethyl act ate.  However, de-greasing is not that big a deal

One other interesting question is (perhaps like arguments for the 
stimulus down
here in the states) is that NOT ENOUGH heat is used -- kick it up to 
180-200 to
really lock in those wing muscles.  Comments on this from others

Finally, any comments on "rapid" relaxation" methods to respread these 
mistakes?
  I seem to recall some sort of system that used an electric current to do the
trick. Anyone know anything about this?

One last comment:  Much kudos to Chris Schmidt for his suggestion on hanging
spreading boards.  I always enjoy learning about the "systems" (light trap
construction, mass rearing, spreading, etc) that folks use for their 
lep hobby.
  Chris never ceases to amaze me with very innovative (and simple) 
approaches to
common problems! if you take the Lep Course (www.lepcourse.org) you too can
learn these!

cheers

bruce


 
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