Ebonite Sulfur Smell - Tech Info
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 1:33 pm
In a previous topic I asked the "Question About Ebonite Smell." The topic went nine pages and got really crazy at times, and I believe, is difficult to sort through and get a clear answer, although it does contain a lot of good information from some experienced pipemakers, which I am not, but ultimately I did my own tests and here are the results.
The questionable subject ebonite rod from PME, may have been mfg by NYH, but I'm not absolutely sure of this so I'm calling it "PME rod" here.
--------------The Test Results--------------------------------------------------------
---The PME rod - emitted a sickening sulphurous odor when cut or drilled. The dust was dark brown, clumped as though wet. This smell was also easily detectible for two weeks after the piece was finished, polished, and waxed, and althought faint, was very foul to me. After four weeks the smell was completely undetectible in both the waxed piece, and the rough unfinished piece.
---SEM rod - emitted a moderate burning rubber, but not sickening, smell when worked. The dust was dark brown and dry powdery. The smell was faintly detectible for only a few hours, and completely gone the next day.
---Giudici molded ebonite stems - emitted a mild rubber smell when worked. The dust was lighter brown. The smell was undetectible in the piece when it was finished.
---------additional test info----------------------------------------------
Both types of rod finished nicely, with a deep black mirror finish.
Some of the Giudici tips finished nicely, although, perhaps the mirror was not as deep.
Some of the Giudici tips were blemished by red-brown areas which were only visible if the tip was held directly under and very near a light bulb and especially when held vertical.
--------abbreviations used in this post-------------------------------------
PME - Pipemakers Emporium
http://www.pipemakers.org/
NYH - NEW-YORK-HAMBURGER GUMMI-WAAREN COMPAGNIE AG
http://www.nyh.de/
SEM - Schonberger Ebonite Manufaktur GmbH
http://www.sem-hitzacker.de/
----------Notes-----------------------------------------------------------
I sent Kurt Huhn, administrator of this site, a sample of the PME rod, and he tested it, some NYH rod, and some SEM rod which he had in his stock. His results were considerably different in some details, similar in others, and I have copied his posted results into this topic, my next post down.
The questionable subject ebonite rod from PME, may have been mfg by NYH, but I'm not absolutely sure of this so I'm calling it "PME rod" here.
--------------The Test Results--------------------------------------------------------
---The PME rod - emitted a sickening sulphurous odor when cut or drilled. The dust was dark brown, clumped as though wet. This smell was also easily detectible for two weeks after the piece was finished, polished, and waxed, and althought faint, was very foul to me. After four weeks the smell was completely undetectible in both the waxed piece, and the rough unfinished piece.
---SEM rod - emitted a moderate burning rubber, but not sickening, smell when worked. The dust was dark brown and dry powdery. The smell was faintly detectible for only a few hours, and completely gone the next day.
---Giudici molded ebonite stems - emitted a mild rubber smell when worked. The dust was lighter brown. The smell was undetectible in the piece when it was finished.
---------additional test info----------------------------------------------
Both types of rod finished nicely, with a deep black mirror finish.
Some of the Giudici tips finished nicely, although, perhaps the mirror was not as deep.
Some of the Giudici tips were blemished by red-brown areas which were only visible if the tip was held directly under and very near a light bulb and especially when held vertical.
--------abbreviations used in this post-------------------------------------
PME - Pipemakers Emporium
http://www.pipemakers.org/
NYH - NEW-YORK-HAMBURGER GUMMI-WAAREN COMPAGNIE AG
http://www.nyh.de/
SEM - Schonberger Ebonite Manufaktur GmbH
http://www.sem-hitzacker.de/
----------Notes-----------------------------------------------------------
I sent Kurt Huhn, administrator of this site, a sample of the PME rod, and he tested it, some NYH rod, and some SEM rod which he had in his stock. His results were considerably different in some details, similar in others, and I have copied his posted results into this topic, my next post down.