[Nhcoll-l] Best repair glue for bone specimens

[Joachim Händel]

Dear Kayla,

the question here is whether the bonding should be reversible or not.
For reversible bonding, I recommend fish glue - an excellent adhesive. It sticks strongly and dries quickly. You can dissolve the
bond again with warm water.

For non-reversible bonding, I recommend Paraloid B72 dissolved in ethyl acetate or acetone. This can also be used to fill defects
and consolidate crumbly parts.
If it is absolutely necessary, the adhesive can be dissolved again by soaking it in solvent for a longer period of time.

If necessary, nitrocellulose glue can also be used. However, it is not so durable and turns slightly yellow after a few years
(decades).

I strongly advise against superglue, because you have to press the pieces together hard when gluing, which can damage the objects.
Moreover, you can never dissolve it again

All the best
Joachim
 
--  
Joachim Haendel
                                                       

Center of Natural History Collections
of the Martin Luther University (ZNS)
- Entomological Collection -

Domplatz 4
D-06099 Halle (Saale)
Germany

Phone:  +49 345 - 55 26 447
Fax:  +49 345 - 55 27 248


Email: joachim.haendel at zns.uni-halle.de
 
 

>>> Kayla Ott <kzott at ucsc.edu> 24.07.2023, 23:24 >>>
Hello everyone,
 
Does anyone have recommendations on the best glue to use to repair bone specimens that have been broken? Something that would work
to repair teeth that have fallen out of mandibles, vertebral columns that have had some spinous processes broken off with use,
etc.
 
This is for specimens in our reference teaching collection for undergraduate zooarchaeology courses which students are very hands
on with, so the more durable, the better.
 
Thanks!

 
--

Kayla Ott
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Laboratory Operations and Facilities Manager
Department of Anthropology
University of California, Santa Cruz
Phone: 831-459-1481
 
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