[NHCOLL-L:3844] Mounting mollusks for exhibit

[Gegick, Patricia, DCA]

Our museum is currently working on an exhibit which would include mounting freshwater bivalves (Cyprogenia aberti) alongside fossil bivalves on a vertical surface.   The paleo preparator wants to use Vinac (vinyl acetate) to secure the two valves together and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) to glue the intact bivalves to the surface.  I am concerned that these two products may damage the shells in the long term.  The first, Vinac, is apparently soluble in acetone.  The second is not soluble, but can be heated slightly and peeled off the surface of the shell. I have always thought that adhesives should never be placed directly on specimens.  I would feel more comfortable if the shells were mounted mechanically, but I would like to know how other museums deal with this issue. If anyone has used these products or knows of their long term effects  I'd appreciate the information.
Thanks
 
Patricia Gegick
Bioscience Collections Manager
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
1801 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque, NM  87104-1375
Phone:  505.841.2867
Fax:  505.841.2866
Email:  patricia.gegick at state.nm.us <mailto:patricia.gegick at state.nm.us> 
"Every calculation based on experience elsewhere fails in New Mexico."
Lew Wallace, New Mexico Territorial Governor from 1878-1881
            New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment


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