[Nhcoll-l] paraloid question (was Re: Stabilizing cannel coal)

[Mariana Di Giacomo]

Dear Doug,

Paraloid B72 is a fantastic conservation-grade adhesive but I would advise
against using it for this purpose because it will be too strong when dry
and could potentially damage the specimens. B72 is a great choice for
anything that's harder such as bone, shell, stone/mineral, ceramics, glass,
etc.

For organic material that is softer, such as skin or entomological
specimens, the adhesive of choice should be weaker, so that if anything
fails, it's likely to be the joint and not the specimen. One adhesive you
could try is Lascaux 498 hv, which behaves similarly to Elmer's but is
reversible. It also comes prepared, which is a plus.

Hope it helps!

Best,

Mariana
Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD
Natural History Conservator, Yale Peabody Museum
Associate Editor, Collection Forum, SPNHC

On Tue, Jun 18, 2024, 17:33 Douglas Yanega <dyanega at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 6/18/24 1:59 PM, Anderson, Gretchen wrote:
>
> I would like to suggest a different way to do this, perhaps using a
> material like remay or a light carbon steel fabric with Paraloid B-72,
> lining the back of the fossil to provide improved stability.
>
> This prompts me to ask a question: I've never used Paraloid B-72 before,
> but a colleague strongly suggested that we switch to using it as an
> adhesive for point-mounting insect specimens, and that it is well-known to
> the general museum community, even if not well-known among entomologists.
>
> The little bit of research I did online suggests that it comes in
> different forms, and is used in different ways, which makes it somewhat
> unclear how best to approach it for our needs. If being used as an
> adhesive, is it preferred to buy the solid form and dissolve small
> quantities in ethanol? If so, does the concentration of the ethanol matter?
> We have 95% ethanol we use as a preservative, it would certainly simplify
> things if we could use that without having to dilute it.
>
> Recommendations for suppliers might also be helpful, given how many
> sources seem to offer it for sale. We'd prefer to work with a vendor with a
> positive reputation and fair pricing.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> --
>
> Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum
> Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314     skype: dyanega
> FaceBook: Doug Yanega (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
>              https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
>   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
>         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
>
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