Connecting to Collections Care

Hello Margo,
As the acting C2C Care community monitor, I'd like to thank you for posting this question to the community! My go-to tools for removing adhesive residue from paper-based artifacts are erasers, specifically crepe (rubber) or vinyl erasers. A concern of using vulcanized rubber is the emission of sulfur, which can cause some metals (e.g., silver) to tarnish.

Here are a few resources to assist in choosing materials for adhesive removal and treatment procedures:
Cameo - Rubber eraser 
AIC Wiki - BPG Surface Cleaning  - Eraser Materials section provides information on chemical composition and chemical interactions
AIC Wiki - BPG Hinge, Tape, and Adhesive Removal  - Treatment Variations/Erasers describes usefulness and technique of using crepe and vinyl erasers for adhesive removal
CCI - Caring for Metal Objects - provides information on recognizing corrosion on aluminum
WAM Aluminum - provides information on deterioration and preventive conservation of aluminum
SI's Aluminum: History, Technology, and Conservation - provides a deep dive on all things aluminum

If anyone else has advice/resources, please feel free to pass along. 

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Sharon Fickeissen
Connecting to Collections Care Monitor
Senior Library Conservation Technician
Hagley Museum & Library
Wilmington DE
sfickeissen@hagley.org
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-30-2022 18:58
From: Margo Gutstein
Subject: How to safely clean adhesive off a metal belt buckle

I just found a Hitler Youth belt buckle in our collection with a foil-backed adhesive label on the back side. The label showed the item number and would have been placed there about 13 years ago by a volunteer, who no doubt thought it was a good place for the label where it wouldn't show. The label would probably have been purchased from Gaylord or another archival supply catalog.

I removed the label, but now there is some stickiness where the label was. What is the safest way to remove the remaining adhesive? I believe the belt buckle is aluminum.

Thank you,

Margo Gutstein

Archivist

Simon Wiesenthal Center

Los Angeles, CA

Original Message:
Sent: 11/30/2022 6:59:00 PM
From: Margo Gutstein
Subject: How to safely clean adhesive off a metal belt buckle

I just found a Hitler Youth belt buckle in our collection with a foil-backed adhesive label on the back side. The label showed the item number and would have been placed there about 13 years ago by a volunteer, who no doubt thought it was a good place for the label where it wouldn't show. The label would probably have been purchased from Gaylord or another archival supply catalog.

I removed the label, but now there is some stickiness where the label was. What is the safest way to remove the remaining adhesive? I believe the belt buckle is aluminum.

Thank you,

Margo Gutstein

Archivist

Simon Wiesenthal Center

Los Angeles, CA