|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 20, 2013 12:52:39 GMT -8
Bill I love your video and will try this.
Does this work for blues and Delias without any "water" staining ?
Personnally I use the hot water injection with Delias and Lycaenidae, it is perfect to spread the wings but I think it doesn't relax the antennaes enough and they sometimes break...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 20, 2013 13:09:10 GMT -8
Hi Pete, your commen't went missing somehow (?) I was about to say: You might be right, but then, while doing so one has to be very careful, I am meticulous even doing so with much bigger Saturniidae. I dont think the body would spilt if you use a size 00 or 0 pin. Personally I use the smallest ones I can find around so it doesn't make absolutely no harm and goes unnoticeable, once you take it off its as if has never been in. Hi thadeos. Why do you not lay the specimen in the triangle on the foam with the ends cut? |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2013 8:29:09 GMT -8
Hi thadeos. Thank you for explaining your method. I, still can not see how I can get a pin, even a tiny one through a brittle Delias body but when I buy some common papered Delias I will have a go. Perhaps you could moisten the part of the body which the pin passes through somehow. I need to work out a good method soon, I am keen to start setting lots of butterflies again. I may also try a Syringe and then place the specimen in a relaxer for a short period to soften the antennae ready for setting. Regards Peter.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 21, 2013 8:37:08 GMT -8
Why brittle? Thadeos method works physically by "vapor pressure". This means that close to the surface of liquid the air is completely moisturised. That's good enough to rehydrate specimen. I use the same method to just place my specimen on a piece of styrofoam that floats above cold water. Large specimen may need two days to relax, but it even works for Charaxes so I don't see how a Delias should pose any problem. The Lycaenidae that I set are usually ready in 12 to 24 hours. When I place specimen inside the box to rerelax them they fold up their wings within 2 hours only.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2013 8:42:29 GMT -8
Why brittle? Thadeos method works physically by "vapor pressure". This means that close to the surface of liquid the air is completely moisturised. That's good enough to rehydrate specimen. I use the same method to just place my specimen on a piece of styrofoam that floats above cold water. Large specimen may need two days to relax, but it even works for Charaxes so I don't see how a Delias should pose any problem. The Lycaenidae that I set are usually ready in 12 to 24 hours. When I place specimen inside the box to rerelax them they fold up their wings within 2 hours only. Hi, I meant the way he puts a pin through the body before they go into the relaxer, to hold the specimen above the foam. |
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 21, 2013 8:44:59 GMT -8
 Here is a pic from an older thread. Currently I just use 1 lane of styrofoam and not 2 lanes like on that pic. The lower styrofoam is pierced with a #1 needle on many places, this pulls up water through capillarity and the enlarged surface of the styrofoam helps to evaporate the water. The top layer is not pierced at all and just holds the specimen. You also have to put the body of the specimen facing towards the edge close to the water, that is all there is to this method. I use plain cold water, but I guess that using vodka is better if you have trouble with mold on your specimen. Never had any trouble with ruining the blue on one of my Lycaenidae with this method. Rgds Claude |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 21, 2013 8:45:59 GMT -8
Why brittle? Thadeos method works physically by "vapor pressure". This means that close to the surface of liquid the air is completely moisturised. That's good enough to rehydrate specimen. I use the same method to just place my specimen on a piece of styrofoam that floats above cold water. Large specimen may need two days to relax, but it even works for Charaxes so I don't see how a Delias should pose any problem. The Lycaenidae that I set are usually ready in 12 to 24 hours. When I place specimen inside the box to rerelax them they fold up their wings within 2 hours only. Hi, I meant the way he puts a pin through the body before they go into the relaxer, to hold the specimen above the foam. Oh, my bad, sometimes it helps to read before posting  Anyway, now I explained my method on top of the other fine methods presented here which sure all work. |
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2013 8:52:17 GMT -8
Hi Claude, nice relaxing set up. Very interesting. You mentioned you Never had any water spotting with this method, because with Delias, it is the undersides which go on show.
Regards Peter.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 21, 2013 9:09:06 GMT -8
No, there is no direct water contact and no condensation on the butterfly. Unless you take it freshly out of the freezer and put it in the box, otherwise condensation is not possible.
p.S. Now I saw the sentence with the "brown tip" that I missed, I know this problem in Pieridae. I would suggest to place the tip of the tip of the abdomen on a small piece of cotton when using this method. Just in case this brown mush would try to spill. In any case, the butterflies abdomen doesn't have to be that relaxed, so a small piece of cotton stealing the moisture shouldn't pose any problems.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2013 9:20:01 GMT -8
Hi, sorry if my post was a little misleading, it was the brown tip of the forewing which spotted the yellow area where they meet on those Delias specimens. But the cotton wool is a good idea for the abdomen.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on Aug 21, 2013 10:24:21 GMT -8
Thadeos. Will try this, thank you for all your help.
Regards Peter.
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 21, 2013 11:31:52 GMT -8
Has anyone tried boiled gin or vodka ?
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 22, 2013 1:56:02 GMT -8
I re-read it but found no answer. Has anyone tried BOILED vodka or BOILED gin ?
|
|
|
|
Post by nomihoudai on Aug 22, 2013 2:05:47 GMT -8
What do you expect to happen with boiled vodka or gin ?
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Aug 22, 2013 2:09:57 GMT -8
Well, with my trials, I would say that cold gin is about 80% as effective as boiled water.
Boiled water is 5x more effective than injected cold water.
Boiled gin may be the perfect stuff.
I will give it a try, except if someone have faced some problems with this method... (like burning your appartment...)
|
|
Anyway, now I explained my method on top of the other fine methods presented here which sure all work.