[NHCOLL-L:1835] Re: bottle gasket material and 132mm poly lids

[Alexandra M. Snyder]

Dear Bob and Greg,

Wanted to respond to both of you re: gasket material and lids for the old 
glass "buckets" with wire handle.

Greg:
The last time I inquired (March 2000), the lids for the 5 gallon (132mm 
mouth) buckets could be found at Chelsea Bottle Co., Inc.  Call 
617.884.2323  Yes, whatever you do, replace those metal lids that rust out! 
And, for others who may want to purchase such a jar, these jars are no 
longer manufactured (haven't been made for almost 20 years, I think.)


Bob:
For gaskets that are appropriate to use with alcohol (N-buna rubber, white) 
you can purchase any size (must be made and must have a minimum order) from 
Manufactured Rubber Products, in Philadelphia. Call  215.533.3600

One warning, if you do replace gaskets on old jars.  Make sure you have 
completely removed the old gasket material...down to the last speck.  If 
any junk is left on the lip of the jar, then you will not get a good seal, 
ever.  Many people think you can simply take the old gasket off and put the 
new one on, over the detritus left on the lip.

Sorry I sound gruff on this, but with fluid specimens the container is 
everything in terms of conservation of the specimens.  Trying to make your 
own gaskets is not a real good idea.  Trying to salvage "nice looking old 
jars" is not the best way to spend your money or effort.   (I too have a 
soft spot for the old butter churns and ground glass jars that we have used 
in  the past.  But they are not the best for keeping fluid specimens 
viable, forever.)  Curating wet collections is not cheap because of the 
equipment required and not easy because the products do not always stay 
available.  Seems like every 8 to 10 years, I am looking for a good 
replacement for a tried and true product!  Anyway,  you can check with your 
institution, but maybe the next time you need money for the collection, you 
can sell off some of the more valuable jars...

I have purposefully standardized the container sizes in two fish 
collections that I have been directly responsible for.  By having standard 
jar and lid sizes, I can purchase large quantities of products that are 
appropriate for wet collections.  Also, I can monitor the effectiveness of 
those products if I am only monitoring 5 to 8 jar and lid types rather than 
10 to 20 jar and lid types.  Does that make sense?  In large collections, 
it is important that you "know" what is on the shelves and how it is 
performing.  If you are interested, I would be glad to send you (off 
list...because we have covered this topic in the past)  info on where I 
purchase jars and lids.


Lex

--On Thursday, February 13, 2003 7:54 AM -0500 Bob Glotzhober 
<bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org> wrote:

> This may have been on the listserv before -- I don't quite recall.
> I'm looking for a readily available, functional, and cheap replacement
> gasket material for glass jars.
>
> We have a number of specimens in alcohol in very old glass bottles with
> mason-jar-like rubber gaskets at the top.  Some of these bottles may be 50
> years or more old and are unlike any shapes that I have in new stocks.  I
> have been replacing alcohol in them that has gotten discolored with age.
> Sometimes when they are finally opened, the gaskets are brittle and
> destroyed.  I have other (new) jars that I can (and have) transfer
> everything into -- but sometimes the shape of the old bottles is much
> better than any of the new ones I have.  Not only that -- but some of
> these bottles are a work of art in themselves -- and I hate the idea of
> just throwing them away.  Of course, with different shapes, I cannot just
> go out and purchase new jar gaskets from a canning supplier.  Is there a
> source of material that is available in sheets that could be cut into new
> replacement gaskets?
>  >> ===========================================
>> Robert C. Glotzhober			bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org
>> Curator of Natural History		phone  614 297-2633
>> Ohio Historical Society			fax       614 297-2233
>> 1982 Velma Avenue
>> Columbus  OH  43211-2497

>> Does anyone know of a company that might make lids for the old large 
screw cap jars.  I think the lid is 130mm diameter or there about.  These 
are the old jars that have a wire bail and a wooden handle and hold about 5 
gallons of fluid.

Thanks,
greg

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
Alexandra M. Snyder, Collection Manager
Division of Fishes   MSC30 2020
Museum of Southwestern Biology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
Ph 505.277.6005  Fax 505.277.3218
amsnyder at unm.edu