Opening stiff Lucanid jaw

[blasto]

Hello everyone,

could somebody help me with opening stiff jaw that just refuses to open even after being submerged under warm water over night? I really don't want to break the jaw by forcing it to open with my hands. Any help would be great.

[africaone]

I inject ammoniac inside the head (mandibule level) and let some hours. If necessary i use a special forceps (inversed forceps)used in industry to help (I can't explain the name in English, in french it is "pince à pression inversée, but see the model on www.setin.fr/Serie-475A-a2829.html

[dertodesking]

I can recommend using gin (the normal kind you normally add tonic to and drink!) for relaxing stiff jaws. I've used it every time I've experienced a similar problem, with success, ever since Bill Garthe posted on here about it's relaxing properties...

Simply "paint" undiluted gin liberally onto the stiff part of the beetle and wait and the part, in this case a mandible, should loosen enough to allow setting. You may have to re-do it a few times before the mandible loosens enough but in my experience it works. Difficult to say how long it will take to loosen up enough to be able to set the specimen but if you test the mandible by trying to move it you'll see if it's worked.

I've also used gin, successfully, to loosen up butterfly specimens that were "stuck" on their pin when I wanted to change the setting height which did away with the need to fully relax and re-set the specimen...simply paint a small amount onto the thorax, where the pin goes in, wait a bit, and then with a pair of fine forceps move to the desired height and fix in place with a small amount of wood glue.

I've also used gin, frequently, to relax a very weary collector after a long day in the field... (hic!)

Simon

[bichos]

Dec 2, 2014 4:15:34 GMT -8 dertodesking said:

I can recommend using gin (the normal kind you normally add tonic to and drink!) for relaxing stiff jaws. I've used it every time I've experienced a similar problem, with success, ever since Bill Garthe posted on here about it's relaxing properties...

Simply "paint" undiluted gin liberally onto the stiff part of the beetle and wait and the part, in this case a mandible, should loosen enough to allow setting. You may have to re-do it a few times before the mandible loosens enough but in my experience it works. Difficult to say how long it will take to loosen up enough to be able to set the specimen but if you test the mandible by trying to move it you'll see if it's worked.

I've also used gin, successfully, to loosen up butterfly specimens that were "stuck" on their pin when I wanted to change the setting height which did away with the need to fully relax and re-set the specimen...simply paint a small amount onto the thorax, where the pin goes in, wait a bit, and then with a pair of fine forceps move to the desired height and fix in place with a small amount of wood glue.

I've also used gin, frequently, to relax a very weary collector after a long day in the field... (hic!)

Simon

Can't believe it works, ginius!

[blasto]

Awesome! Thanks! I will try that!

[flithops]

Or you can try to put them into 70% Ethyl alcohol...should work the same as gin and it is cheaper!

[flithops]

Just to add that even then you have to slowly work the mandibles in order not to break them, because if you apply to much force the mussels will break and the mendible will become loose...