Archival Hot Glue question.

[JasonO]

The following question was just posted to the RCAAM Listserv and I am interested in the answer as well so I thought I would cross post it here. Looking around I found conflicting information about whether archival hot glue is needed for box making or not.

Jason

Here is the original post: On Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 9:47 AM, Ashley Henderson wrote:

Hi Everyone, I am making custom trays and boxes for a project and am looking for a source for archival hot melt glue sticks. The trays will be used for long-term storage and the artifacts will not come into contact with the glue used in construction. Gaylord has discontinued their product. University Products carries the sticks but states that their $250 applicator gun is required for proper application. Has anyone used these sticks with a regular applicator gun from a craft store? I can't find a package of hot glue sticks at the store that lists ingredients. Does anyone know of a good source for hot glue sticks or if regular old hot glue sticks from the store pose a threat in long-term storage? Thanks for any suggestions! Ashley Henderson Collection Manager Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History www.ccmuseum.com (361) 826-4659

[T. Ashley McGrew]

3M Polygun LT..gif
I strongly recommend the 3M Polygun LT.
I would purchase it as shown in the picture with a quadtrack converter and palm grip.
I have used it working for two different commercial companies and two different museums.
The gluesticks were some of the first to shown to pass oddy testing by the Getty way back in the day and it is still what they use there.
They have different sticks for different applications I would buy the clear general purpose ones - LM for low melt.
The sticks for the TC model are similar but will melt through foam more and is harder to work with when it comes to thin materials like Tyvek.
3M also offers a variety of guns that work with these sticks, including ones with different temperature "chips". In my experience they are prone to breakage and basically a waste of the considerable cost increase over this gun.

Here is a link that might make it more clear but I have not actually ordered from this vendor.

3M Polygun LT

The price on this one seems to be low so I would make sure that it is being sold as pictured (with both quad converter and palm grip).

[Mark Wamaling]

Ashley,

Can you give us more detail as to which hot melt or low melt 3M glues passed the ODDY tests back in the day?

[T. Ashley McGrew]

All I can remember is that I was working in NY for FAE and I heard about this so that had to be more than a dozen years ago. I had been curious about the topic since at the museum I had worked for prior the use of hot melt glues was not allowed. I had to use white glue to adhere Ethafoam into storage mounts (skived on one side obviously)!

While I have heard of many museums testing the 3M gluesticks it should be noted that I don't know that all of the different gluesticks that 3M manufactures passed or were even tested. To be more helpful I need to look up the stock numbers I suppose. I also don't know if any of the institutions followed up with testing for contact with objects, but I can't think why you would ever want hot glue in contact with objects anyway.

Basically I just know that at the Getty, any material that goes into a crate interior, display case, or storage environment is oddy tested periodically. Similarly at NMAI and more recently at the SW Museum where my wife now works the product was tested because it is so frequently used for storage mounts.

One of the reasons the Getty tests all kinds of materials periodically is that manufacturers sometimes change formulations of products and therefore their characteristics without any notification to the buyer, but I have never heard of this product not-passing oddy tests. Have you guys heard of it failing by any chance?

[T. Ashley McGrew]

Oh duh, I guess I was in a hurry and didn't actually read your very clear question - and instead went into story telling mode!

Low melt # 3M #3792 LMQ
Also for Coroplast it seems like higher temps worked better (especially if you didn't abrade the surface a bit - which I think is wise) -
#3M # 3748Q

I also just came across a related bit of info in Hatchfields Pollutants in the Museum Environment pg 141 under Ethylene/ Vinyl Acetate (EVA) copolymers (main component of gluesticks) :

"E-VAs are found as hot glues, used increasingly in the fabrication of storage, exhibition and travel mounts or other components which may remain in proximaty to works of art for prolonged periods of time."

[Mark Wamaling]

Ashley,

Thanks for answering my question. I thought some of the other forum folks might benefit if we talked about specific types of 3M glues. I have heard conflicting results about the 3M #3792, so you are saying that the Getty, NMAI and SW museum have confirmed that it pass the ODDY tests?

PS: I always enjoy your story telling regardless if you answer my question right away.

[JasonO]

Someone posted on RCAAM that University Products do carry Archival Bostik Glue Sticks again:

(http://www.universityproducts.com/ca...entId=&navTree[]=1193)

Jason

[T. Ashley McGrew]

Mark you are ever the gentleman and your generousity is much appreciated.

You know, I am sure about the SW and NMAI (it was published in the move manual) but I am not sure if they are currently using the low melt at the Getty (they use a lot of double stick for Tyvek and such) so I don't know if there would be current test results. Do you remember where/when it failed this is news to me.

Of course as you know Dow Ethafoam has failed on several occaisions and have I have heard that the SealedAir version has failed at least one test since they bought the brand.
These things rarely seem to be clear cut. That is why in dreamland there is a distributor who tests every batch they get (I don't personally know any museum that actually manages to follow this supposed "rule of thumb"). I always figurethat it is good to follow the trends and test materials whenever possible if you hear mixed results.
Thanks for passing on questions about the 3792.
I have an idea on what that might be about. I will need to do some searching in some Oddy related correspondense. Will get back on it if I find applicable info.

[T. Ashley McGrew]

Jason,

I saw that they make these in 15" lengths. One of the things I like about the 3M is that they are just shy of 8" which is twice as long as the 4 inchers. These on the other hand, are almost twice again as long - pretty cool!
Do you know what guns are commonly used with these in museums and/or fine art service providers?
If we can get some recommendations on models and sources as well as a fough idea of prices that will help visitors searching this topic. I think I will put out something on the listserve to that effect. Thanks for the heads-up on the Bostik type gluesticks.

[JasonO]

The original reason for my cross-post was to ask if "archival" hot glue sticks are absolutely necessary. If yes, can any gun be used or should one use a proper one like the 3-M model recommended earlier? Thanks to all the posters and those on the listserv.

Jason