Re: toxicity of sealants

[the Leones <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Howard Chandler" <chandler@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: "Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>; "G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
><harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 8:53 PM
>Subject: Re: toxicity of sealants
>
>
>>  Concerned Harpers,
>>
>>  I'm going to go on a limb and guess that the finish used on the 1923
>Herring
>>  is not "liquid Paraffin" , known on this side of the pond (if I'm not
>>  mistaken) as mineral oil. I say this because, while mineral oil is quite
>>  commonly used as a "finish" for things like cutting boards and salad bowls
>>  (not to mention the medical applications), it is not in the true sense a
>>  finish, since it does not polymerize. That is, is does not form a skin
>like,
>>  say boiled linseed oil, varnish, or urethane. What I see when I look at
>the
>>  one 1923 I have is a thoroughly cured finish. Just what was used is up for
>>  conjecture. Assuming it is one of the commonly available non-toxic
>finishes,
>>  it is most likely either shellac (which has been dissolved in an
>>  appropriately pure form of alcohol) or a water based poly. The test ford,
>>  shellac is to rub with alcohol. If it dissolves, it's shellac.
>>
>>  Whatever the finish, it would seem in the best interest for Herring to
>clear
>>  up this matter ASAP as it may be off-putting to potential customers.
>>
>>  Howard Chandler
>
>Hi Howard,
>I mentioned that very same thing to both Dino DeLima at their Miami offices
>and Carlos Bertolazzi at their main offices in Brazil, and the way I put it
>to them in a nutshell was that it was better to reveal what sealant they're
>using because should someone get sick or dies from a  possible allergic
>reaction to the sealant, they could be in a very serious multi million
>dollar lawsuit


  *  See, here we go with the multi-million dollar lawsuit thingie, 
(America's answer to everything). If you don't think you like the 
sealant (stabilized Brasil-Nut oil), don't buy the 
harp.......smokey-joe

>  that would be potentially damamging for them here in the US,
>and such a revelation would prevent this from happening. The only thing I
>could personally get out of them was that it wasn't beeswax because it
>didn't work particularly well with the wood being used (Marfim Imperial).
>
>On the other hand, having a wood comb sealed from the factory on a diatonic
>IMO is a definite step in the right direction when it comes to these types
>of combs.
>
>Sincerely,
>Barbeque Bob Maglinte
>Boston, MA
>
>
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