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Post by papiliotheona on Apr 7, 2021 15:12:12 GMT -8
For "upside down" spreading what I do is flip the specimen over on its pin after it is off the board. In other words, put the pin back through the hole the opposite way in the thorax. Doing this takes steady hands, tweezers, and a sharp eye. You also can't do it with a fresh insect full of hemolymph as that will act like glue. In that case the specimen needs to fully dry papered, and then relax it.
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Post by papiliotheona on Apr 7, 2021 15:13:01 GMT -8
There are a vast array of chemicals that are effective at preventing mould forming. Anything containing phenol is good, personally I use TCP. These are very toxic and awful smelling. BicBugs taught me the 50/50 water and white vinegar trick for relaxer paper towel sheets.
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Post by bobw on Apr 7, 2021 23:35:39 GMT -8
There are a vast array of chemicals that are effective at preventing mould forming. Anything containing phenol is good, personally I use TCP. These are very toxic and awful smelling. BicBugs taught me the 50/50 water and white vinegar trick for relaxer paper towel sheets. One of he many uses for TCP is to treat sore throats or mouth ulcers by gargling with it, so I rather doubt that it is toxic.
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Post by livingplanet3 on Apr 10, 2021 12:34:29 GMT -8
Just use a splash of rubbing alcohol. It’s cheap and safe. Thanks - will try using rubbing alcohol.No staining issues with the specimens I've relaxed. What I found out from using my former warm and humid method, as opposed to the cold method, was the warmth would cause the wings to be damp, and I was worried about water stains, however, the cold method has eliminated this wetting of the wings while at the same time relaxing the specimen enough to set it properly. Some condensation did form on the wings in small droplets, but nothing like the wetting I was seeing using the warm relaxing chamber. The wings at most become no wetter than if they were lightly misted, very lightly. I had a mold problem with one specimen using the warm box, but nothing using the cold box, I would guess any disinfectant in a closed box is going to prevent mold, and it's less likely to develop in the cold. That specimen did have some tissue wrapped around the body, and that may have contributed to the mold... Quite a few of the specimens I will be preparing are enclosed in a layer of tissue paper, within their glassine / paper envelopes. In consideration of your comment about mold, perhaps I should remove the tissue paper prior to relaxing?For "upside down" spreading what I do is flip the specimen over on its pin after it is off the board. In other words, put the pin back through the hole the opposite way in the thorax. Doing this takes steady hands, tweezers, and a sharp eye. You also can't do it with a fresh insect full of hemolymph as that will act like glue. In that case the specimen needs to fully dry papered, and then relax it. Noted - thanks. None of my specimens will be mounted fresh - they are all papered.There are a vast array of chemicals that are effective at preventing mould forming. Anything containing phenol is good, personally I use TCP. These are very toxic and awful smelling. BicBugs taught me the 50/50 water and white vinegar trick for relaxer paper towel sheets. I would have thought that vinegar (4-7% acetic acid solution) might possibly cause damage to specimens, but perhaps at an even greater dilution of 50% its original strength, this is enough to inhibit mold growth without causing any harm to specimens?
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Post by kevinkk on Apr 10, 2021 16:57:56 GMT -8
I'd probably lose the tissue paper when you relax them, but I'm still new at this, I think the tissue paper would hold more moisture next to the body, and could present a problem once it gets damp.
It may or may not be necessary to use a mold inhibitor when using the cold method, it might depend on how long the specimen is in the chamber.
My experience with phenol was very unpleasant, I realized I needed to use it in a well ventilated room, it's vapors seemed to make my lips numb, as well as smelling very much like something you didn't want to hang out with.
Today I set my O. goliath procus male, he spent 7 days in the cold box, set easily, I'm getting better and liking this technique a lot, I just need more cash, and more space.
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Post by 58chevy on Apr 11, 2021 7:45:04 GMT -8
From a previous post (not sure who suggested this):
If you have large butterflies like Ornithoptera, Troides or Stichophthalma, just put the butterflies in a relaxing chamber for 5 hours, inject a small amount of vodka, and leave the specimens to continue relaxing for at least 10 hours. So within 15 hours a specimen as large as an Ornithoptera would be ready to be relaxed easily. Vodka is the traditional Russian alcohol or whatever equivalent you can find. The results would be as if the specimens were fresh.
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Post by joachim on Apr 11, 2021 8:44:46 GMT -8
Hi, the same I do. But, never drink Vodka when you set it.... haha I have never had to re-tension a butterfly because it has warped. Is that correct English? Only some Charaxes are very stubborn, including Lycaenidae. As for drying, I had some very thick, fat attacus (alive) and took them off the board after 3 days with no problems.
We have an alcohol to rub in with injuries, it is called in German "Franzbranntwein", camphor, water and ethanol. I'm wondering if it makes sense to inject this because the camphor will keep pests away. Do you have any opinions?
best wishes, Joachim
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 11, 2021 11:52:54 GMT -8
I suspect that the camphor will evaporate after some time, and will not protect the specimen for very long, certainly not for many years.
Adam.
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