[NHCOLL-L:2363] Re: Insects and glue

[David Furth]

I am not sure it is worth continuing this discussion at this point, since there are obviously differing opinions and some mis-interpretation.  It seems that some statements have "gummed up" the works and most seem to be "stuck" on their ideas anyway.
 
Again, based on the experience of many here and many other places:
 
Elmer's Glue (white), water soluble, OK, widely available.
Hide Glue, water soluble, OK, widely available.
Many other kinds of water soluble glues, OK, not widely available.
Shellac Gel, ethanol soluble, OK, not widely available.
Nail Polish, acetone/ethyl acetate soluble, not so great, widely available.

>>> Doug Yanega <dyanega at ucr.edu> 06/21/04 04:13PM >>>
Jim Druzik wrote:

>Elmer's glue is definitely not good.

and

>I have had animal glues that required enzymes for removal on
>old works of art mounted on boards.

after having said earlier:

>  >I beg to differ on your comment about water soluble gums. Polysaccharides
>>can crosslink but they are more prone to hydrolytic chain rupture which
>>increases solubility.  Since they are fully amorphous you're just not going
>  >to get insolubility.

>and Dave Furth wrote:
>
>>My experience is also with small critters and with mounting
>>techniques and glues from around the world and going back well over
>>100 years.  I have not experienced the problems Doug mentions with
>>removing specimens or parts thereof with warm/hot water or with
>  >dissecting them.

Maybe I'm a bit dense, but Dave Furth and others have been calling 
Elmer's Glue (= "white glue") and hide glue "water-soluble". When 
they said those were good, you implied they were okay, but now you're 
CLEARLY saying they're bad, which directly contradicts the earlier 
comments. So, what widely-used "water-soluble" glues were *you* 
referring to when you said above that they increased in solubility 
over time, if you weren't referring to white or hide glue?

So, let's recap:

White glue (Elmer's, etc.) = water-soluble, but BAD
Hide glue = water-soluble, but BAD
???? = water-soluble, but GOOD
PVOH = alcohol-soluble, and GOOD

Do I have that correct now?
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
phone: (909) 787-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html 
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82



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