[NHCOLL-L:3501] Re: polyethylene foam rod advice requested

[Steve Halford]

I have been using polyethylene foam plugs in my shell vials for about
twenty years.  They have held up well, even with frequently-opened
vials.  I use scrap white generic ethafoam blocks which I cut to size
with an appropriate diameter cork borer.

Best,
Steve.



On 7/23/07, Adrienne Raniszewski <adrienne at raniszewski.com> wrote:
> The USGS vertebrate collection at the Museum of Southwestern Biology
> is looking for a substitute for polyethylene (PE) caps because the
> appropriate size for our glass shell vials is unavailable. Rather
> than revert back to corks, which introduce acid into the collection,
> we are considering using polyethylene foam rods (aka backer rods) as
> plugs. They come in a variety of diameters, can be easily cut to any
> length, and are said to be inert. Have any of you used backer rods
> for this purpose? What do you think of the results? Do they stay put
> over time? Or do they eventually mold to the shape of the vial,
> becoming loose (as corks are known to do)? We can only find gray rods
> in the size we need; do they come in white? What vendors have you
> used? Any other advice you can offer would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> ~ Adrienne
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Adrienne Raniszewski
> Scientific Aide
> -------------------------
> ASRC
> contracted to:
> US Geological Survey
> Museum of Southwestern Biology
> University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque, New Mexico
> -------------------------
>
>


-- 
Steve Halford (halford at sfu.ca)
Museum Technician
Department of Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University             New Phone#
Burnaby, B.C. Canada               August 2007
V5A 1S6                                  778-782-3461