With regard to the preservation of the contents of your Time Capsule 2000, a few of our clients have shared their choices with us. Some have chosen to seal each of the contents individually following the conservation guidelines on the Preservation Hints and Tips page, some have had the lid welded on after the Time Capsule 2000 has been filled, and some have chosen to have the oxygen removed and replaced with argon or nitrogen by a local gas supplier and have then sealed the capsule with silicon (see below). Your method of preservation is a personal choice.

Preservation - The Easy Way
Replacing the air in your Time Capsule 2000

Since oxygen is the deteriorating element, we believe the simplest and most effective method of preservation is to remove the air and replace it with an inert gas, after which the contents will remain as they were when placed in the time capsule. Simply place all items inside your time capsule, screw the lid onto the time capsule, coating the screws with any silicon gel and placing the gasket between the lid and the flange, and then take the capsule to a local bottled gas supplier who will replace the air.

Argon or nitrogen are the most commonly used oxygen-free gases and typically come in a gas bottle with a low-pressure hose and a hand operated push valve. The valve end is placed into a tube, which is then inserted into your time capsule through one of the two screw holes. The gas distributor will calculate the volume of gas needed from the size of your time capsule. Since the gas in heavier than air it will push the air out of the other screw holes, and will prevent the air from returning to the time capsule while the screws are replaced.

We hope that you will enjoy deciding which articles you wish to preserve for future generations, and that your Time Capsule 2000 project brings you great pleasure.