[Nhcoll-l] Large specimen jars need opening - help!

Wed Nov 15 12:18:30 EST 2023

Dear Vanessa,

regardless however you get to open the stopper jars, don't use the same 
lid again, since you will be facing the same problem in the future. It 
seems like your lids do not really fit to the jar and was just pressed 
inside to somehow fit, then the lids get clammed and are a pain to open. 
Historical grounded stopper jar usually were made with unique lid, so 
that it only fits on the jar it was made for even if they seem to be 
fitting, its not. Sometimes you actually find some numbers engraved in 
the jars and lid, marking the right fit.

If I understand right, your goal is to replace lids? or the whole jar?

If you are wanting to replace grounded lids, you will face the upper 
mentioned problem that they wont fit. Besides that no supplier sells 
only lids.

The flat round lids, you can cut yourself with this 
<https://www.glasinsel-shop.de/de/glas-und-zubehoer/Tiffany-Glaskunst-Zubehoer/rundschneider/rundschneider-bohle-silberschnitt-mit-6-stahlraedchen-fuer-72-mm-600-mm.html>. 
You will have to grind them on one side using some carborundum (silicon 
carbide) of about 180 grit. The same for the jar you will be using (flat 
top). Then you can choose a variety of sealing methods, the ones making 
a slight under pressure in the jar (through heating up the lid), make a 
fantastic seal.

If you need new jars, you might seek at Dirk's proposed suppliers. There 
is a third company making very affordable grounded stopper borosilicate 
jars, called Simax/Kavalier 
<https://www.kavalier.cz/en/jars-specimen-with-ground-in-cover-with-knob-sp63.html>. 
I just ordered a large number of those for a project in Switzerland and 
I'm very happy with them. Even though DWK sells better ones, but this 
cost the half or 1/3 of the German ones (not that i want to promote 
price dumping, but DWK is definitely to expensive, I've told that the 
people in charge there already).

You might be able to grind down the large grounded stopper jars you 
already have, but give this to someone that has experience in grinding 
glass (maybe a local glazier). Then you can use the flat lids for this 
jars then aswell.

Be careful with making to much pressure in the jar, the jumping lids is 
one possible accident, but the worst scenario is a full explosion of the 
jar, that's a real mess and a big loss of fantastic and irreplaceable 
glassware.

All the best from the Ruhrarea,

Am 15.11.23 um 16:19 schrieb Dirk Neumann:
> Hi Vanessa,
> Stölzle Oberglas (but they no longer have jars on stock, only 
> occasionally), or you can contact Gassner Glastechnik in Munich (link 
> <https://gassner-glastechnik.de/kontakt/>); they can customise flanged 
> borosilicate jars which you can easily (and hermitically) seal with a 
> good, silicone-free ground-stopper grease like Alsirol (link 
> <https://www.fishersci.de/shop/products/joint-grease-1/10130201>)
>
> Neubert (link 
> <https://www.neubert-glas.de/laborglas/onlineshop/katalog.php?KATfrom=suche&SearchText=pr%E4parat&struc=1_995727484085_1030342896125_1005301727684_1515949502601&kat=1023362157218&PHPSESSID=1effb50f3b77f3e7035b5480d4f6ce4b>) 
> sells DWK Schott jars, but they are usually not too large, and we need 
> a re-seller as museums cannot order directly at DWK (link 
> <https://www.dwk.com/duran-museum-jar-with-ground-glass-plate>)
>
> It might also help if you place the jars into warmer working space 
> rooms for a while, or, as Paul mentioned, put the jar into a shower 
> and try with warm water. Watch any external labels and protect them 
> against soaking.
>
>  Hope this helps
> Dirk
>
>
> Am 15.11.2023 um 15:02 schrieb Callomon,Paul:
>>
>> Hi Vanessa,
>>
>> Stubborn tapered ground-glass lids like those you show often loosen 
>> if you simply pour hot water over them, as the jar neck expands 
>> further than the lid. Don’t make the water too hot, though, as the 
>> glass could crack – I find hot water from the tap is usually enough 
>> to do the trick.
>>
>> Paul Callomon
>>
>> Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates//
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> *Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University***
>>
>> 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
>> /prc44 at drexel.edu <mailto:prc44 at drexel.edu> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 
>> 215-299-1170/
>>
>> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> *On Behalf Of 
>> *Vanessa Pitusi
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 15, 2023 2:42 AM
>> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
>> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] Large specimen jars need opening - help!
>>
>> *External.***
>>
>> Hi!
>>
>> I posted the following on a Facebook page for Museum collection 
>> managers and was advised to ask here for help. So, any answer would 
>> be greatly appreciated!
>>
>> I work at the Tromsø Museum (Norway), and we have numerous large and 
>> tall glasses containing specimen. The ethanol level on some of them 
>> is starting to be low, but we do not know how all of them were sealed.
>>
>> Some were sealed with linseed oil putty, which I was advised to open 
>> by warming. However, some have no putty but are firmly stuck. Any 
>> advice on a good solvent to use to open those? The Internet tells me 
>> something like Xylene could do the job, but just wanted to get some 
>> more opinions.
>>
>> Secondly, does anyone based in Europe know of any suppliers that make 
>> such glasses and lids?
>>
>> Photos for reference of size and lids (that I am after).
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Vanessa Pitusi
>>
>> Sent fromOutlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>>
>> Sent from Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
>
> ******
>
> **
>
> *Dirk Neumann*
>
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>
> Postal address:
>
> *Museum of Nature Hamburg*
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
>
> of Biodiversity Change
>
> Dirk Neumann
>
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>
> 20146Hamburg
> +49 40238 317 – 628
>
> _d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de_
>
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>
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>
> -- 
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
>
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian 
> Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst
>
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> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. Seehttp://www.spnhc.org  for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
-- 
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