Amy,

Here at the Australian War Memorial we have been involved in several time
capsule projects. Our current approach is to use a length of plastic gas
pipe and end caps, usually donated by the local gas company.  The length of
pipe is dependant on the amount of stuff to go in them. When loading the
capsule we also add some Ageless Oxygen scavengers & flush the capsule with
argon before sealing. to seal it we use a plastic cement recommended &
usually supplied by the gas company. I think the pipe is a polyamide, & the
gas company assures us that it is very durable underground.

If the capsule is going to be buried, then I suggest that you include some
substantial bits of metal either inside or out, so that it can be located
with a metal detector. A length of insulated copper electrical wire is
usually sufficient to enable it to be detected. Your local gas company
should be able to advise you about this. This is important so that the
capsule is not accidently disturbed during earthworks. If a gas pipe is
unexpectedly struck when digging, it usually sets off a major panic. It's
therefore best to bury it in an area known to be free of buried services.

The last time capsule that we prepared was not buried, but displayed on an
internal wall of a clubhouse, with the date for it to be opened written on
it. It's not a bad idea, because then it is not accidently disturbed or
forgotten.

Good luck,

George Bailey                                     I am perfectly normal;
Objects Conservator                               everyone else is a bit
Australian War Memorial                           strange, though.....
Treloar Centre for Conservation
4 Callan St, Mitchell, A.C.T. 2911
Australia
Phone: (0)6 241 6122
fax:   (0)6 241 7998
email: [log in to unmask]