Slightly OT: Sticky tape

[Kieron]

Hello Folks,

Please forgive the slightly OT post. Every now and again I have to replace the desiccant in the plastic boxes that hold my meteorite slices. I seal the edges of the boxes with tape, but I am sick of having to remove the sticky residue that gets left behind by the old tape. Can anyone recommend a brand of tape that doesn't do this?

Cheers, Kieron

[Barwellian]

Hi Kieron,

I have been using low tack vinyl for my latest Arts Council Project,"cruX". I think you need something similar. I did not purchase the material directly but it came through my technician at the sign writing company I worked with. Low tack glues are used throughout the industry these days so that signage that is temporary (eg. gallery signage) can be removed from walls and windows after each show. I only used coloured, but I imagine there would be transparent ones. The rolls I used were huge (over 1m across) so would not be suitable, but if you google low tack vinyl tape that leaves no residue you should find some transparent eventually. eg....(not transparent)

http://www.rajapack.co.uk/products/pack ... g-tape.htm

Good luck,

Graham

[MeteoritesEire]

Thats a great site for packing/shipping supplies,nice find Graham
Jim

[msg-meteorites]

I have the same problem Kieron although i normally only have this problem when swapping specimens over or changing the display. I have specimens that have been sealed for over 18 months and the dessicant is still fine (i use the orange to green colour change silica gel) Before sealing specimens in i tend to dry them out for a few days in a large tub of the same dessicant before putting them in the display case with freshly recharged dessicant. That seems to work fine for me and in fact i have not had a single specimen need the dessicant recharging since using this method.

To get rid of that sticky residue i use a product called 'sticky stuff remover' which works really well. I have a 250ml bottle that i got from a lakeland shop. i just found the same stuff on ebay at the following link:

(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/250ml-Sticky-Stuf ... 5ae0c24704)

Hope that helps

Cheers

Martin

[Kieron]

Thanks for all the replies, on and off list.

Martin, I must be doing something wrong! I use the same 'orange to green' silica gel pellets - they turn green within a couple of months. My specimens are stored in a metal cabinet. It has narrow drawers that are the perfect size for my meteorite boxes, fossils and artefacts, but I wonder if the metal causes excessive humidity?


Cheers, Kieron

[msg-meteorites]

I really dont know Kieron. I cant imagine how the metal cabinet would exacerbate the problem though. Drying the specimen out in a large tub of dessicant before sealing it in and using freshly charged dessicant each time works for me and i do put as much dessicant as possible in each container, so much so that without sealing the container with tape the lid springs off! Here is a link to some photos of a 108.5g slice of Odessa and a 72.5g slice of Gibeon in some of the medium plastic boxes that i use.

(http://s1130.photobucket.com/albums/m53 ... y%20boxes/)

Cheers

Martin

[Kieron]

Thanks for that Martin.

Recently I have been re-photographing and making new labels for my collection. Once they go back into the cabinet I will put some open trays of desiccant in each drawer, to be replaced on a regular basis. See if that helps to draw off the moisture before it penetrates the sample boxes.


Cheers, Kieron

[skycaptain96]

use WD-40