Hi Tim,

Run tests first. Also you might want to try to ask somebody at National
Film and Sound Archive conservation lab for an opinion
<https://www.nfsa.gov.au/preservation>. Good luck!

--greg schmitz




On 3/27/19 18:57 PM, Tim Gillett wrote:
> Thanks Martin,
>
> Yes the Linseed oil soak treatment - for an unspecified period - plus
> a rinse with Ronsonol (it's branded here in Australia as Shellite and
> I've used it for many years for cleaning) may be a good approach. I
> might first obtain some Linseed oil and experiment with solvents to
> dilute/remove it before doing anything with the tape. The tape is part
> of a set of three reels of the final ceremony of the 1962 Commonwealth
> Games held here in Perth. It was a big event in the life of our city.
> The other two (also Acetate) tapes must have been stored elsewhere as
> there is no trace of contamination on them and they will transfer well.
>
> Thank for the tips,
>
> Tim Gillett
> Perth,
> Western Australia
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Fisher"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 10:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Linseed Oil tape contamination
>
>
>> I always turn to Ronsonol lighter fluid as a good place to start
>> since it's good at most goo applications and doesn't, of itself,
>> leave a residue. If that doesn't work the linseed oil idea seems
>> worth a try then following up with the Ronsonol for final cleanup if
>> needed. My last resort is a careful application of alcohol but this
>> sometimes is detrimental to the binder. Use alcohol with caution. If
>> the acetate base is then prone to brittleness or curling try
>> rehydrating (method available upon request) before transfer.
>>
>> Martin
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
>> <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Tim Gillett
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 6:22 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Linseed Oil tape contamination
>>
>> Thanks Greg, interesting idea to use linseed oil. I guess it would
>> take some time and it would all need to be in a sealed container to
>> prevent drying out of the oil. Thanks also for the other discussion
>> list links.
>>
>> Tim.
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Greg Schmitz" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 6:04 PM
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Linseed Oil tape contamination
>>
>>
>>> Tim,
>>>
>>> You're looking for a solvent that might remove at least some of the
>>> dried
>>> and hardened linseed oil but not destroy the tape base. The first thing
>>> that comes to mind is linseed oil. Not sure how effective it would
>>> be on
>>> dried oil, but it might be a starting point. I've used oils to
>>> remove oil
>>> based adhesives from lots of surfaces.
>>>
>>> --greg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/27/19 1:58 AM, Greg Schmitz wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Tim,
>>>>
>>>> Ugh, sounds awful. Have you thought about asking about your tape
>>>> dilemma
>>>> on a conservation list like ConsDistList
>>>> <http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/instruct.shtml>?
>>>>
>>>> You might also check the CoOL archives
>>>> <http://cool.conservation-us.org/>
>>>> or equivalent sites in other countries. It sounds like you've got the
>>>> kind of mixed environmental contamination problem(s) frequently
>>>> faced by
>>>> conservators of various stripes. Reminds me of the map that was
>>>> eventually retrieved, covered with oil and solvents, from the
>>>> bottom of
>>>> an elevator shaft at a very famous library in NYC.
>>>>
>>>> --greg schmitz
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/27/19 12:29 AM, Tim Gillett wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've been given a few acetate 7" 1/4" tapes which by the smell of
>>>>> them
>>>>> (as a child I used to oil my cricket bat with it) appear to have
>>>>> linseed
>>>>> oil on them, to varying degrees and probably there for many years.
>>>>> The
>>>>> oil has dried to a glue. Sand has adhered to the tapes in spots. The
>>>>> tapes have been stored in cardboard boxes which are partially
>>>>> soaked in
>>>>> the oil as if having sat flat in a shallow puddle of oil.
>>>>>
>>>>> General (non tape) instructions I found online mentioned removing
>>>>> linseed oil with acetone and ethanol as solvents. I applied some
>>>>> acetone
>>>>> to a short, blank section of tape and the tape was dissolved almost
>>>>> instantly. Does anyone have experience with this problem?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>> Tim Gillett
>>>>> Perth,
>>>>> Western Australia
>>>>>
>>>>> ---
>>>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>>>>> https://www.avast.com/antivirus
>>