[CR]Storage of gum brake hoods - low oxygen environment - rubber

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

From: "Raoul Delmare" <Raoul.L.Delmare@worldnet.att.net>
To: "C.R. List" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Bruce C." <BruceCumberland@comcast.net>
References: <20030816222737.ZMIW1174.mta1-rme.xtra.co.nz@[219.88.2.163]> <1061102566.732.8.camel@mechanicus_equus> <001001c364b7$797c7c20$6c587018@mtnk.phub.net.cable.rogers.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2003 09:56:58 -0500
Subject: [CR]Storage of gum brake hoods - low oxygen environment - rubber

Yes , a sealed metal container , with no oxygen inside , is best !

Dry ice , as a source of carbon dioxide is a very clever trick . Bottled carbon dioxide , for "fountain soft-drinks" might be another idea . Bottled nitrogen might be even better . Some "car nuts" actually set up a system to allow them to fill their tires with bottled nitrogen . Keeps out the oxygen , and the excess moisture .

My cheap , quick , easy to do , hard to describe , not perfect , but pretty good , method :

Buy top-quality "Ziploc" bags , in the "Freezer Bag" version . They are much thicker and sturdier . Drop your items to be preserved , into the bag , and carefully arrange them . Suck the air out . Seal it up tight . Carefully fit the first bag inside another bag . Suck the air out of the second bag . Seal the second bag .

Total time - maybe a minute and a half .

Store in a place which is cool , and also has a consistent temperature . Store away from all light . Tossing the bag into a cardboard box in my basement works for me .

Tricks -

Human saliva is EXTREMELY bad for "gum rubber" . Be careful . Do NOT get any on the INSIDE of the bag .

Plastic bags are NOT air tight . Even if the seal actually did seal perfectly , air molecules do slowly go right through the plastic itself ! But , blocking out 99% ( or whatever the real number ) is good enough for me .

Cardboard is EXTREMELY acidic ( for a paper product anyway ) . Cardboard is considered bad by the "archival storage" folks . So , when I put my sealed plastic bags into a cardboard box , I'm not worried . But , I wouldn't put any bare unprotected "gum rubber" into a cardboard box . ( but some gum hoods originally came in little cardboard boxes !?! - store the little boxes separately ?? - yer on yer own ! )

If you're going to put them into the refrigerator , put the clear plastic bags into a light-proof container . Be worried about moisture . Be worried about some corners of the refrigerator being too freezing cold !

Having trouble sucking out the air ? Not always easy ? Try using a plastic soda straw ! You can stick it down into the very bottom of the bag . Not to be too disgusting , but don't drool down the straw ! Remember that saliva will do bad things to the rubber .

Biggest hint - seal the whole seam tightly , then open up one corner . Pinch the edge of the seam tightly with one hand , to keep the rest of the seal from opening , while pushing that corner open with the other hand . It allows you to pull a pretty fair vacuum , despite the walls of the bag trying to collapse shut .

Perhaps there will be a few rubber ( and / or plastic ) items still around , a few decades from now , for the next generations to look at and study , learn from and enjoy .

Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas


----- Original Message -----
From: Wayne Jolly
To: David Hallam
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2003 7:02 AM
Subject: Re: [CR]storage of gum brake hoods......



> David
>
> This is interesting, how do create the low oxygen micro-climate ?
>
> Wayne Jolly (An amazing August morning) Toronto, Canada
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Hallam" <zzdhalla@ozemail.com.au>
> To: "Wayne Davidson" <wayne.collect@xtra.co.nz>
> Cc: "CR BIKE LIST" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Sunday, August 17, 2003 2:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR]storage of gum brake hoods......
>
>
> > In a low temp low oxygen environment.
> > /dlh.
> >
> > On Sun, 2003-08-17 at 08:30, Wayne Davidson wrote:
> > > Hi all, what is the best method of storage for NOS gum brake
> > > hoods?......regards wayne davidson Invers NZ......
> > > _______________________________________________
> > --
> > David Hallam
> > Queanbeyan NSW Australia
> > Motobecane, Claude Butler, Legnano, Raleigh,and some nice Japanese ones.