[Nhcoll-l] Removing masking tape from rocks and minerals

[Simon Moore]

Hi Katie,

You can even go one stage further as acetone is even more effective for removing masking tape and residues if the latter are rather sticky BUT be careful that the acetone doesn’t adversely affect the specimen.  Most are quite safe in my experience but there are always those few that can react badly to solvent treatment, especially if they’re fissured, so tread carefully at first as Barbara suggests.

With all good wishes, Simon.

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,
www.natural-history-conservation.com 




On 19 Nov 2014, at 23:22, Barbara Winter <bwinter at sfu.ca> wrote:

> Hi Katie,
> 
> Pedro's advice is a great way to go, but I would add a couple of cautions.  First, make sure the specimen is not adversely affected by the ethanol by doing a small test swab.  You can dilute the ethanol 1:1 with distilled water for paper residues, and stronger (more ethanol) for adhesive residues. Also, I'd use a wooden spatula rather than a metal one, so you don't inadvertently scratch the surface of the specimen.  I often just whittle a coffee stir stick into an appropriate shape and use that.
> 
> Good luck with it!
> 
> Barb
> 
> Dr. Barbara J. Winter
> Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology
> Department of Archaeology
> Faculty of the Environment
> Simon Fraser University
> 8888 University Drive
> Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
> 
> t. 778.782.3325
> f. 778.782.5666
> bwinter at sfu.ca
> www.sfu.museum
> 
> From: "Pedro A. Viegas" <paleomail at gmail.com>
> To: "Katie Connolly" <katie at cablemuseum.org>
> Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 3:14:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Removing masking tape from rocks and minerals
> 
> Dear Katie
> 
>  Sounds like a little treasure you got there. 
> 
>  It will all depend on the rock/mineral/fossils you have in that collection - a picture always helps to make a better decision on how to approach any specimen.
> 
>   If it is just "regular masking tape" (the yellow, paper based tape) then it should be fairly easy, once again it will depend on the specimens you have. 
> 
>  If it is that tape, then I would suggest to initially, gently swab the tape with ethanol, this will moisten the tape, making it less brittle and dry as it probably is. 
>  After you can start on one end to with very gentle swabbing dabs of ethanol and gently peeling the tape. The ethanol should dissolve the glue which you can remove with the swab+ethanol.
> 
>  If the glue does not dissolve after this first test, then you can try the same thing but with acetone, but once again its all specimen dependent.
> 
>  I removed very old and dry tape from different specimens (mainly fossils) with the swab+ethanol and scrapping technique if you are delicate it works great. In some the initial gently soaking was enough to make the tape peel right off. 
> 
> 
> 
>  Hope it helps, 
> 
> ps: take a pic of the before and after.
> 
> 
>   Best wishes
> 
> 
> Pedro A Viegas
> Natural History Curator & Conservator
> 
> paleomail at gmail.com
> +44(0)7587051425
> 
> Follow me on Twitter - @PedroAViegas
> A bit more about me on LinkedIn
> 
> 
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