Blackwood or rosewood

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 2:25 pm

A phiobaire a seacht, mo charaid:

Still a fox in the chicken coop, eh?

N, *tsk, tsk*

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 2:59 pm

Look at it this way Piper; the more petroleum we use making flutes the less will be available to spill, or burn and cause air pollution.

Also, if we could convince enough others to do their conservationist duty and play a polymer flute then there would be less petroleum to make all the plastic parts used in the construction of those rascally Earth-threatening SUVs. In fact if everybody started playing polymer flutes the cost of making Anything else out of plastic would be prohibitive and we could go back to living in tepees. Then the Earth would be a better and happier place.

Hmmm, I think I'll go play some tunes on my blackwood flute.

Doc

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 4:56 pm

It just occurred to me that recycled polymers could possibly play a role here, although I have no experience in the industry...if clothing and deck timbers, for example, can be so readily made from recycled materials, why not instruments? Sustainable delrin, anyone?

N, ???

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 5:07 pm

On 2003-02-20 14:35, piper7 wrote:
I may be wrong (doubt it), but aren't many plastics and "polymers" made from petroleum products? And isn't one of the largest dangers to our environmental safety, after SUV's and biological and chemical weapons, oil fields? And was there not recently a large oil spill in the Alaskan wilderness caused by some yahoo with a rifle shooting the pipeline several times? If so, why would those who are buying the plastic flutes posture or even think that they are doing the environment any good? huh?

While there are a lot of plastics that are based in petroleum, Delrin (The polymer used in Seery and M&E flutes) is an artificial resin developed by Dupont using formaldehyde as a base.

Formaldehyde is a normal byproduct of cellular respiration, and is only dangerous in cases of overexposure over time to improperly sealed substances (Such as old urea-formaldehyde based insulations).

So, while you are correct that petroleum and its byproducts can harm the environment when improperly handled, you are wrong in that Delrin flutes are contributing.

Aodhan

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 5:08 pm

"Look at it this way Piper; the more petroleum we use making flutes the less will be available to spill, or burn and cause air pollution."

That's absolutely brilliant Doc. Why did I not think of that? Hmmm. (Shuddering to think that you may be a real doc).

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 5:30 pm

Good to know that delrin IS sutainable. I have to assume that the formaldehyde is rendered transformed by virtue of scientific and engineering wizardry, and that there are no vapors such as one can encounter with some plastics. Yes?

I've also heard passing mention that delrin may be more prone to shattering than polymers; any word on this?

N, most curious

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 5:33 pm

FORMALDEHYDE: pungent gas used as a preservative. Oh man, pickled lips from a plastic flute. Say that three times fast.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 6:19 pm

Ah, well, pickled by plackwood or blastic; a horse apiece if you have blackwood allergy as I do, eh?

Incidentally, for those sensitized to blackwood, it might be good to bear in mind that the various rosewood species all overshadow blackwood and ebony in possible toxic reactions. I played a rosewood keyless once that sounded just great, but now I would have to go with a lip plate to forestall flareups (my upcoming Noy will have one, and I'm hoping to talk Mr. Olwell into taking a stab at it too).

Then again, I could just apply duct tape under my lower lip (if I could find any). Still, the prospect of tearing it off after a session is too bizarre and painful to consider.

N, *ouch*

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:16 pm

On 2003-02-20 15:01, piper7 wrote:
Now Aodhan, calling me names is not going to win me over to your side

Having read your posts, I doubt anyone here will lose sleep over you not being on their side.

On 2003-02-20 15:01, piper7 wrote:
I say bring on the blackwood, or soft maple. With something similar to the genome project but in botany I think we could certainly engineer the right genertics and conditions to grow backwood.

Oh yeah, genetic engineering is *so* much better for the environment. Letting artificial genomes loose that compete with and possibly displace natural species is such a very good idea.

I'm not against genetic engineering in general, but I think we're nowhere near knowledgeable enough or skillfull enough at this point to put it into practice.

On 2003-02-20 15:01, piper7 wrote:
How hard could it be to figure out a planet.

Spoken as only the truly ignorant can speak. I doubt we will understand as much as 1% of our own planet in my lifetime. Frankly, I doubt that we will ever understand 100% of our planet in the entire lifetime of our species.

jim_mc · Post by **jim_mc** » Sun Feb 23, 2003 11:29 pm

I don't miss piper7. He did not rock.