[Harp-L] An Addition to "Beeswax Sealing and Customizing Marine Bands"

["D.A. Stewart" <das928@xxxxxxxxx>]

First of all thank you Tim and Keith for making this
post available. 

As a maker of stringed instruments (and varnish for
them) I have some knowledge of the dangers inherent in
heating flammable components. I thought it might be in
everyone's interest to add the following information
to the instructions. It comes from the Wikipedia entry
for beeswax: 

"Beeswax has a high melting point range, of 62 to 64
°C (144 to 147 °F). It does not boil in air, but
continues to heat until it bursts into flame at around
120 °C (250 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185
°F) discoloration occurs."

Since beeswax melts at about 144 °F, discolors at 185
°F, and bursts into flame at around 250 °F, we want to
heat the beeswax to somewhere between 144 °F and 185
°F. It might be a good idea to use a cooking
thermometer, a metal one not a glass one, to know when
the beeswax has reached the optimum and safe
temperature and hold it there. Also be aware of
whether you are measuring Celsius or Fahrenheit. Since
the beeswax does not boil, there will be no warning if
the beeswax is allowed to approach the "burst in
flames" temperature of 250 °F.

Thanks again for reposting this information.

Delmar

--- Tim Moyer <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> It seems that the HarpAmps archive of Harp-L had
> been taken down, 
> but after contacting Keith Graham about it, he has
> graciously 
> restored the contents to a new location:
> 
> http://www.harptab.com/harpl/
> 
> The original post to which we were referring still
> has the same 
> filename, just at the new domain:
> 
> http://www.harptab.com/harpl/200188818.html
> 
> Everyone needs to express their thanks to Keith for
> providing this 
> great resource.  Until the harp-l.com hosted
> archives are complete, 
> this is the only source of record of the 1995-2002
> years, when some 
> great topics were tossed around.  
> 
> Thanks, Keith!
> 
> -tim
> 
> Tim Moyer
> Working Man's Harps
> http://www.workingmansharps.com/
> 
> > D.A. Stewart wrote:
> > 
> > I am interested in post mentioned below by Tim
> about
> > Marine Band customizing, especially the how-to of
> > wooden comb sealing, but can't get the link in his
> > post to work for me (I get the message "404 file
> not
> > found"). Could someone post this information or a
> link
> > to the ealier posting that works.
> > 
> > Thanks, Delmar
> > 
> > > Vergil Mueller wrote:
> > > I have been searching the harp-l archives for an
> > > article that I found one time about customizing
> MB 
> > > harps.  It was a long post, and gave
> step-by-step 
> > > directions on how to make a beeswax-sealed, good
> 
> > > compression Marine band Harps.  I can't remember
> 
> > > who it was by, but I remember he suggested using
> a
> > > mini-crockpot to heat the wax in (a very safe
> way to 
> > > melt beeswax, I might add).
> > > 
> > > http://www.harpamps.com/harpl/200188818.html
> > > 
> > > This is a 2001 re-post of Magic Dave Therault's
> > > original 1998 post.
> > > 
> > > -tim
> > > 
> > > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 


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