# rubber seal preservation



## scubabob (Feb 13, 2006)

hi all, i am relatively new to all of this so please be gentle with me if this has been asked before. I did a search but could find no reference.

 I have recently found a *Codd's bottle, complete with marble and rubber seal * - and it still works!!!!  I found it on a dive and it was under the sand so was well protected.  It is in remarkable condition and is currently sitting in fresh water where it has been since it was brought up.  The thing is, i am concerned that if the rubber seal dries out, it will perish quickly.  *What is the best way to prevent any decay of it other than leaving the bottle full of water?*

 Reseach shows that the bottle was made in the mid 1880's and has probably been underwater since that time.  And for the record, it was not found on or near any wreck or protected zone.


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## capsoda (Feb 13, 2006)

Hey Adrian, Welcome to the fourm. I like to use a natural organic oil like virgin olive oil or avacodo oil. I suppose any seed oil will work too.


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## scubabob (Feb 14, 2006)

thanks Warren, never thought of that. How often should it be applied? Does oil itself dry off?
  I was thinking of filling the bottle with water to keep the seal wet and then sealing it with latex (as i did with an old half wine bottle i found that still had the cork in it ) but i fear that would detract from its beauty.  Plenty of time to consider, i intend to keep it in water for some time yet


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## bottleboy311 (Feb 14, 2006)

Another great item to use is glycerine. You can buy it at any drug store. Rubber is a very porous material.  When it is exposed to the elements (sun, heat, changes in humidity etc.) it dries up, causing it to become brittle and adventually break. Glycerine is a natural softing agent for rubber, it lubricates the pores, making it flexible again. Water will not lubricate rubber. The best it will do is prolong it's destruction. Once it is taken out of the water and exposed to heat it has a better chance of breaking. Glycerine is the best way to preseve and restore old deteriating rubber. I worked manufacturing rubber products over 20 years and know it works great. It also works great on the rubber moulding in your car windows. If you rub a little on it once a year, you will get 2 to 3 times the life out of it.

 Lee


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## capsoda (Feb 14, 2006)

Thanks Lee, It never dawned on me. I've used glycerine to perserve natural rubber jewelry molds after vulcanizing them.[]

 Hey Adrian, Go with the glycerine.[]


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## scubabob (Feb 16, 2006)

Thanks guys, glycerene sounds like it's the go.  

 By the way, the reason it's still in water is not to try and lubricate the rubber, but because the bottle has been submerged in water for possibly 120 years, rubber and all.  I just don't want it to dry out till i know what to do with it.  As with any underwater artifact, it must be preserved properly and this could mean being kept in fresh water for many years


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## walkingstick (Feb 16, 2006)

The U.S. Navy uses silicon grease to preserve and protect rubber gaskets on watertight doors.  It may work in this instance, but I do not know where to find it.


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## Humabdos (Feb 16, 2006)

You can find the silicon grease at any dive shop. I learned the hard way with olive oil it will turn rancid after a while.
 Glen


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