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Post by cabintom on Jun 30, 2019 7:43:42 GMT
Near the start of my collecting in Congo, I inherited a large number of paper triangles from Robert Ducarme. Those will soon be finished and it's time to make new ones of my own. Does anyone have a template they follow? Or tips on making them? I'd like to make a large batch with a small variety of sizes.
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Post by luehdorfia on Jun 30, 2019 9:03:47 GMT
Why not used these glassine squared envelopes? I used triangles before, self made ones, and it’s much more work than just opening an envelope dropping the butterfly in and you can continue, also the glassine is much better, doesn’t rub off any scales. These envelopes are super cheap, it’s just 2 euros for 100 of them, if you buy a 10000 you’d probably get a discount even and it last forever.
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Post by cabintom on Jun 30, 2019 10:37:23 GMT
It's a good suggestion, but I doubt anyone would ship to me here in DRC.
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Post by Paul K on Jun 30, 2019 15:20:41 GMT
I don’t use any templates.
I purchased from Uline 500 sheets 12x12inch for $30.00 and it will last for very long. I fold them for 6, 5 or 4 stripes and cut those so they can be long enough to fold them across and around two edges.
For very large specimens I fold only 3 times so the envelopes are large.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jun 30, 2019 16:50:02 GMT
Why not used these glassine squared envelopes? I used triangles before, self made ones, and it’s much more work than just opening an envelope dropping the butterfly in and you can continue, also the glassine is much better, doesn’t rub off any scales. These envelopes are super cheap, it’s just 2 euros for 100 of them, if you buy a 10000 you’d probably get a discount even and it last forever. And sadly the dried butterfly is almost impossible to remove and return to the squared envelopes without damaging it, particularly antennae. That is the huge advantage of triangular envelopes. Another problem I have found with glassine envelopes - some of them are made with water soluble glue, and when you put it into the relaxing box the glue can run into the wings and destroy the specimen. Making your own triangular envelopes is a little time consuming, but not so hard. First you have to decide what different sizes you want to make and also what source of paper is available to you. Depending on the size of the paper (I make it from a roll, cutting off the correct length for the size I want to make) you can then work out how to fold it to make multiples of the right size of envelope. For instance if the paper is 80cm long and the envelopes are 10 cm wide you would fold the paper over 3 times into strips 10 cm wide (with 8 strips in it). Then you cut the folds with a knife (put the knife inside the fold and slide it down to cut along the edge and repeat) to make 8 strips. Importantly, before folding the paper into 8 strips, you need to make sure it is the right length as well. If the width is 10 cm then the paper needs to be 14-15cm long (a square is no good, it must be a rectangle to make the flaps), so the length of the strips that you fold should be a multiple of 14-15cm. That way there is no wastage, as the next stage after cutting the edges of the strips that you folded into 8 is to fold the lengths. If the strips are about 60cm long you need to fold them in half and then half again. When you cut these folds you end up with 32 flat pieces of paper of the right size. Of course the number that you make depends on the size of the paper, for instance if the paper is 120cm long by 80cm wide you will make 64 pieces from one sheet. In Africa a lot of people use old newspaper, so how you fold or cut it would depend on the sheet size. Other useful sizes are 12x8cm and 9x6cm for medium and relatively small triangles respectively. These sizes are not fixed, you can make sizes that are suitable for the size of butterflies you want to put in them. It is advisable not to put small butterflies in too large envelopes as they can move around and get damaged. Adding a triangle of tissue helps, but of course a small butterfly in a large triangle is a waste of paper. The next job is folding them. It is important to note that they can fold 2 ways. If you lay the rectangle long side left to right and hold each end you can either fold the left over right or right over left. Personally I prefer right over left as I find it easier to put butterflies in triangles that open when folded that way. Of course that depends on whether you are left or right handed. After deciding which way you prefer, fold one side over so that the flaps are about the same width on each side, and importanly make the angle where the 2 sides overlap 90 degrees. Then with the paper on a flat surface use your forefinger to press the long edge flat and score it with the edge of your finger nail. It is important to do this on a flat surface, not holding it in the air, so that the folded envelope will be flat. Next turn the folded paper round and fold the flap opposite down over the edge of the short side while holding the triangle flat with your other hand, and use your nail to score the folded edge again. Make sure that you fold it so that the corner makes a point and the apex is tight with the corner (ie. 90 degrees angle). Then flip the paper over and repeat on the other side. You should have a triangle with flaps that close the sides and 2 small triangles at the bottom of the corners on the long side. Fold these corners back over so that each one holds the flap on that side closed, and after scoring it with your nail the triangular envelope is finished. It sounds like a long process, but once you get used to folding them it only takes a few seconds to fold each envelope. Note that the best way to put the average butterfly in a triangular envelope is hold the butterfly by the thorax below the base of the wings with the wings closed. Open the envelope and lay the long edge along one hand. Put it in head down towards one end of the long side so that the antennae lie along fold of the envelope and move the forewings down so that the costa (leading edge) also lie along the long edge, which automatically protect the antennae from damage, and close the envelope with the other hand. Alternatively if the butterfly has fragile or long tails you can open the envelope at only one end and hold it with one hand so that the sides are slightly opened. Then holding the butterfly below the wings as before put it in with the legs facing the long side of the envelope and the antennae pointing up towards the forewing costa and drop the butterfly in through the open sides. Tap the envelope gently on the point at the bottom and the butterfly will settle into the corner with the forewing costa along one short side and the antennae safely along the edge, and with the tails pointing into the middle of the envelope so they are not near a folded edge. After putting the butterfly in the envelope don't forget to write the place and date on one flap. If you collect all specimens in one place you can do that for all of them in the same evening after you finish collecting. Once the butterflies are dried they can safely be rexamined as many times as you like by opening the envelopes and closing them again with the butterfly in the same place as when it was opened. I hope this helps, Adam. |
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Post by cabintom on Jul 2, 2019 12:43:57 GMT
Adam, amazing. Thank you.
This will save me a lot of trial and error.
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jhyatt
Aurelian
Posts: 224
Country: U.S.A.
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Post by jhyatt on Jul 2, 2019 15:20:58 GMT
Why not just unfold one of the old ones you like and use it as a template for cutting out more?
Cheers,
jh
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Post by Adam Cotton on Jul 2, 2019 15:42:10 GMT
Why not just unfold one of the old ones you like and use it as a template for cutting out more? Cheers, jh I guess he may have taken them all back home when he went there. Adam. |
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Post by cabintom on Jul 4, 2019 15:46:40 GMT
Tom, just leaving you a quick message here as I'm working crazy hours this summer.... I have a lifetime stock of the real deal glassine paper (30grams/m2) that Adam talks about, and if you agree, I would like to sponsor you 100, whole, poster size sheets. I'd need your shipping address in DRC then. I'm otherwise selling the glassine paper on the insectnet market. Check out the picture on the page. 2,5 hours to sleep now, before the circus starts all over again for 12-14 hours, but I hope to be off duty on Thursday and get back to you. Jan Wow. Thanks Jan. This is unexpected! I'll PM you so we can discuss details. Shipping to me directly in the DRC isn't ideal. I've had mail show up 2 years late. |
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Post by exoticimports on Jul 8, 2019 14:36:54 GMT
I posted this warning a long time ago, but might be a good idea to repeat:
As a youth I made paper triangles out of wax paper (looks similar, doesn't it?). In the southern heat the wax melted and stuck like glue to the wings; nothing would remove it, and many specimens were wasted.
Just FYI. Never use wax paper.
Chuck
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