Hi All,

Just a note to add about the use of rubber bands to hold bivalves
together...I've seen quite a few older specimens with a deteriorated "binder"
around them. Upon removal, the clam was stained (permanently) a dark yellow
where the "elastic" was. I don't know when the Lioconcha, and Laevicardiums
were banded, but I know I wouldn't use them in my own collection for any
length of time.

A small spot of Elmer's can be soaked off...even so, I'd avoid gluing delicate
or toothed hinges.

Ken Zentzis
Wichita, Kansas

[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> The best materials for storing and repairing shells are those that do not
> harm the shell, even after many years have passed. Whatever you do should
> also be reversible.
>
> Rubber bands deteriorate badly within a few years, eventually turning into
> strips of brittle material that are stuck to the shell. The transformation
> can be delayed by placing the specimen in darkness, but eventually this
> will happen.