[Nhcoll-l] Marker on bone

[Simon Moore]

Hi Gali,

I used to have to do this and found that the most effective way was using some 10% hydrogen peroxide with a drop of 0.880 ammonium hydroxide mixed in and this pipetted onto the marked area.  After a few minutes, the ink particles started to lift off, so I rinsed the area with water and used an old toothbrush.  At worst, this slightly lightened the treated area but otherwise the number had gone.

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian.

www.natural-history-conservation.com


> On 1 May 2024, at 08:30, Gali Beiner <gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il> wrote:
> 
> Dear NHColl-listers, 
> 
> I'm having the bad luck of having to remove an old number written directly onto the many bones of an entire skeleton with a black marker, which is proving to be far too permanent. Those of you familiar with such tasks won't be surprised to hear that the only thing with any effect at all is ethanol, but that even so the number is still very much there. I'm hoping maybe people here have some tricks up their sleeve that I haven't tried yet in effort to remove the marker off the bones. Suggestions, anyone? 
> 
> Best wishes, 
> 
> Gali 
> 
>  
> 
> -- 
> Gali Beiner (ACR)
> Conservator, Palaeontology Lab
> National Natural History Collections
> The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 
> Berman Building, Edmond J. Safra campus, Givat Ram
> Jerusalem 91904, Israel
> Fax. 972-2-6585785
> gali.beiner at mail.huji.ac.il
> https://nnhc.huji.ac.il/?lang=en
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