Gum Tragacanth Glue for Making Slides?

[Calli99]

So I make slides of microfossils from ~ <1mm - 2mm. I use a glue that I make with food grade gum tragacanth and water as was recommended to me when I first started. However, I have always found it a bit annoying to make, get the consistency right and keep properly, especially as I haven't been able to find any definitive guides to this. I'm wondering whether any of you use gum tragacanth as well and have a ratio/recipe/advice for me? Or if anyone has had good success (long lasting, dries clear, secure, fossil safe) with any other type of glue?

Thanks! 

 

[Rumi]

I regularly use gum tragacanth.  I don't think the consistency matters much, as long as it's reasonably thick and sticky.  I coat the floor of a cell with it, rather thickly, then let it dry.  To mount a foram or ostracod, just put a small drop of water on the dried gum, and put the object in the center of the drop and let it dry.  The specimen should now be firmly attached.  This works quite well for me.

 

Rumi

[Rumi]

Oops, forgot to mention: you can buy gum tragacanth of very good consistency at any leather-working shop.  I use a brand called Eco-Flo.  Works a charm, not expensive, and a bottle lasts a VERY long time.

[Calli99]

15 hours ago, Rumi said:

I regularly use gum tragacanth.  I don't think the consistency matters much, as long as it's reasonably thick and sticky.  I coat the floor of a cell with it, rather thickly, then let it dry.  To mount a foram or ostracod, just put a small drop of water on the dried gum, and put the object in the center of the drop and let it dry.  The specimen should now be firmly attached.  This works quite well for me.

 

Rumi

Yep, that's the method I use too. I just found that when making the glue it gets lumpy and the consistency is not consistent! 

 

15 hours ago, Rumi said:

Oops, forgot to mention: you can buy gum tragacanth of very good consistency at any leather-working shop.  I use a brand called Eco-Flo.  Works a charm, not expensive, and a bottle lasts a VERY long time.

Thanks very much for this, I may go the route of pre-made glue from now on!

[jkfoam]

I find this an interesting thread.

 

Back in the 1970's I did a lot of microfossil mounting on slides, mostly micro snails, clams and pteropods.  I used gum tragacanth exclusively.  After a fossil collecting hiatus I reexamined these micrmounted fossils in the 2000's and found that many if not all had considerable filament fungi growing on them, quite distracting.  A friend recommended using model airplane dope thinned with acetone.  That worked but it had some drawbacks.

 

I was told I could add a fungicide to my Gum Tragacanth mix but I never tried it.   Has anyone else had this problem and can propose a fix?

 

Jim

[Calli99]

21 hours ago, jkfoam said:

I find this an interesting thread.

 

Back in the 1970's I did a lot of microfossil mounting on slides, mostly micro snails, clams and pteropods.  I used gum tragacanth exclusively.  After a fossil collecting hiatus I reexamined these micrmounted fossils in the 2000's and found that many if not all had considerable filament fungi growing on them, quite distracting.  A friend recommended using model airplane dope thinned with acetone.  That worked but it had some drawbacks.

 

I was told I could add a fungicide to my Gum Tragacanth mix but I never tried it.   Has anyone else had this problem and can propose a fix?

 

Jim

I've heard of these issues with gum tragacanth too, but haven't been doing this long enough to see it for myself yet. I haven't tried adding fungicide as the chemicals recommended aren't necessarily readily available. Maybe the commercial solutions such as the one suggested above won't have the same problem?

 

 I've also heard of people using model airplane dope and using acetone to attach the fossils, but I just can't stand the smell of acetone so don't think I could do it.

[Arizona Chris]

I use dilluted PVA glue for all of our microfossils.  You dillute about 3:1 or so, and apply a dot to your mount with a toothpick.  dries pretty fast and never gets fungi.  PVA glue is know as Elmers Glue All in stores.  Get the white stuff, not the yellow construction stuff.

[sicilianjg]

On 6/14/2020 at 12:20 PM, Rumi said:

I regularly use gum tragacanth.  I don't think the consistency matters much, as long as it's reasonably thick and sticky.  I coat the floor of a cell with it, rather thickly, then let it dry.  To mount a foram or ostracod, just put a small drop of water on the dried gum, and put the object in the center of the drop and let it dry.  The specimen should now be firmly attached.  This works quite well for me.

 

Rumi

I'm new to this forum and I just learned something but, I was told years ago to add Formaldehyde to the Tragacanth is this correct all outdated?

 

Joe