[NHCOLL-L:3476] RE: Fwd: Re: [AVECOL-L] nobody knows?

[Moore, Simon]

Hello,

Firstly, have you tried rubbing in some Bollmann compound?  If you have not heard of it, let me know and I will supply further details.

Secondly I use a 5% aqueous warmed solution of Decon-90 to rehydrate dried out formalin fixed specimens and it works well.  I realise that this is not quite the same situation but it might just work.

Sorry not to be more definite.


With all good wishes, 
Simon Moore, MIScT, FLS, ACR,
Senior Conservator of Natural Sciences. 
Hampshire County Council
Recreation & Heritage Department,
Museums & Archives Service,
Chilcomb House, Chilcomb Lane,
Winchester SO23 8RD. UK.
Internal  8 327 6737
01962 826737
http://www.hants.gov.uk/museum/biology 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Laura Abraczinskas
Sent: 22 June 2007 15:49
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Cc: mario at buriti.com.br
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:3473] Fwd: Re: [AVECOL-L] nobody knows?

Dear NHCOLL-L Members,

Does anyone have information for Mario regarding relaxing formalin-stiffened specimens?  The original post appeared on the AVECOL-L list, and few replies have since come in.  We are extending the inquiry to this list.
Thanks,
Laura

Original Post:
>>>dear fellow preparators, i have a new problem that's arisen from 
>>>skins partially prepped in the field (skinned out to be stuffed 
>>>later).  we give bigger birds injections of formalin in their legs 
>>>and feet in the field.  recently, a preparator was sloppy about it 
>>>and got formalin on the skin itself.  those parts became totally 
>>>stiff and unworkable for making a nice prep later.  is there a 
>>>solution?  some way to relax the formalin-stiffened skin?  sure hope 
>>>so!  thanks in advance for any suggestions.  best, mario

Mario Cohn-Haft <mario at buriti.com.br>


>Envelope-to: abraczi1 at msu.edu
>From: Mario Cohn-Haft <mario at buriti.com.br>
>Subject: Re: [AVECOL-L] nobody knows?
>Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:01:21 -0400
>To: Laura Abraczinskas <abraczi1 at msu.edu>
>X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.3)
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>
>thanks laura. that would be great.  i'd really like to hear what 
>anybody has to say on the subject.  best, mario
>
>
>Mario Cohn-Haft
>
>Coordenacao de Pesquisa em Ecologia (CPEC)
>
>Colecoes Zoologicas - Aves
>
>INPA
>
><mailto:mario at buriti.com.br>mario at buriti.com.br
>
>On 21 Jun 2007, at 12:03 PM, Laura Abraczinskas wrote:
>
>>Hi Mario,
>>I do not have an answer for you, but if you would like me to forward 
>>your message to NHCOLL-L (Natural History Collections list-serve), I 
>>would be very happy to do so.  Let me know.  There may be someone out 
>>there who had a similar experience (e.g. with mammals).
>>Laura
>>
>>
>>>Envelope-to: <mailto:abraczi1 at MSU.EDU>abraczi1 at MSU.EDU
>>>X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.3)
>>>X-vivax.com.br-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more
>>>                          information
>>>X-vivax.com.br-MailScanner: Found to be clean
>>>X-vivax.com.br-MailScanner-From: 
>>><mailto:mario at buriti.com.br>mario at buriti.com.br
>>>X-Spam-Status: No
>>>Date:         Thu, 21 Jun 2007 09:53:10 -0400
>>>Reply-To: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators 
>>><<mailto:AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
>>>Sender: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators 
>>><<mailto:AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
>>>From: Mario Cohn-Haft 
>>><<mailto:mario at BURITI.COM.BR>mario at BURITI.COM.BR>
>>>Subject: [AVECOL-L] nobody knows?
>>>To: <mailto:AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>AVECOL-L at LISTSERV.LSU.EDU
>>>X-Virus: None found by Clam AV
>>>
>>>dear colleagues, about a week ago i sent out a question about 
>>>relaxing skins that have been exposed to formol and stiffened.  i 
>>>didn't receive a single answer, which makes me suspect that either:
>>>
>>>1. nobody got the message (i don't think that's the case, since i 
>>>received it) 2. nobody has an answer (is that possible? not even a 
>>>shot in the dark?) 3. it's too tricky a problem for a quick answer 
>>>and everybody's too busy to write long elaborate ones (entirely 
>>>understandable).
>>>
>>>i'd be very grateful for even a "well, don't really know, but why not 
>>>try this..." type answer.  perhaps folks that use formol more than we 
>>>do (herp, fish folks) have more familiarity with the effects of 
>>>formalin and how to "reverse" them.  anyway, just to repeat, i'd be 
>>>real grateful for any suggestions at all, or other contacts to follow 
>>>up.  we have a couple real important newly collected specimens (incl 
>>>an undescribed
>>>species!)  that will have to be (wrinkled) "flat" skins if we can't 
>>>relax the stiffened parts some.
>>>
>>>thanks to all.  sincerely, mario
>>>
>>>p.s.  if anyone cares to see the original message again (for 
>>>explanatory or forwarding purposes), its text was as follows:
>>>
>>>dear fellow preparators, i have a new problem that's arisen from 
>>>skins partially prepped in the field (skinned out to be stuffed 
>>>later).  we give bigger birds injections of formalin in their legs 
>>>and feet in the field.  recently, a preparator was sloppy about it 
>>>and got formalin on the skin itself.  those parts became totally 
>>>stiff and unworkable for making a nice prep later.  is there a 
>>>solution?  some way to relax the formalin-stiffened skin?  sure hope 
>>>so!  thanks in advance for any suggestions.  best, mario
>>>
>>>
>>>Mario Cohn-Haft
>>>
>>>Coordenacao de Pesquisa em Ecologia (CPEC)
>>>
>>>Colecoes Zoologicas - Aves
>>>
>>>INPA
>>>
>>><<mailto:mario at buriti.com.br>mailto:mario at buriti.com.br><mailto:mario
>>>@buriti.com.br>mario at buriti.com.br
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>Esta mensagem foi verificada pelo sistema de antivírus e acredita-se 
>>>estar livre de perigo.
>>
>>Laura Abraczinskas
>>Collections Manager
>>Vertebrate Natural History Collections Michigan State University 
>>Museum West Circle Drive East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1045
>>
>>517/355-1290 (office)
>>517/432-2846 (FAX)
>
>
>--
>Esta mensagem foi verificada pelo sistema de antivírus e acredita-se 
>estar livre de perigo.

Laura Abraczinskas
Collections Manager
Vertebrate Natural History Collections
Michigan State University Museum
West Circle Drive
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1045

517/355-1290 (office)
517/432-2846 (FAX)