>I use white glue (regular glue). Just a drop is enough, and when i
>want to take it off i just put the shell on water and the glue
>dissolves.
>
>Indeed rubber makes a mess, not only on shells. I had a rubber band
>on my computer to tie cables that melted and made quite a mess.

Yes, latex goes off eventually; better quality can last for decades,
but rubber bands are low quality. And the resulting mess can be a
real pain to clean off.

Likewise tape of any kind... back in the 70s masking tape had glue
which would last for years. Now it goes off in mere days, and the
glue is resistant to both ethanol and acetone.

White glue (polyvinylacetate) is good stuff. It is inocuous and
dissolves easily in water.

Good quality (name-brand eg Satellite City) gapfilling superglue
(cyanoacrylate) is great for repairing broken shells, but is exacting
to use and also a pain, as it takes a while to set. There are
accelerators available (eg Satellite City) to catalyze rapid setting.
Do NOT use thin superglue on shells... unless you dab tiny amounts on
fractures to seal them.

I use thread to secure bivavles shut for drying only, though there's
no reason you can't leave it on indefinitely. I very much doubt
synthetic thread dyes would bleed.

>Both solvents are toxic and inhalation and contact should be
>avoided, but Toluene is by far the greater of the 2 evils

Actually acetone (propenone) has a very low toxicity. It can however
cause hallucinations if you inhale sufficient vapor. I have the HSNO
data at work.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
‚ Opinions stated are mine, not those of Otago University
"There is water at the bottom of the ocean"  - Talking Heads

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