I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,
CP

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

--

On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:51:18 -0800, MOP CAP wrote:

On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

It depends on how pretty you want it to be. I have one screwdriver
built like that, and a meat cleaver that is similar. I used ordinary
hardware-store epoxy on both. They're probably stronger than they were
when new, but they're not the prettiest things in my drawer.

--
Ed Huntress

On 02/18/2016 12:51 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

I'd probably do nothing (other than keep them out of the weather )
than perhaps sand a little and oil, then.

As Ed says, you can fill but unless the cracking is so bad they're
actually going to fail or they're uncomfortable, a little checking won't
make any significant difference on the longevity and I tend to prefer
that stuff that's old with "character" keep that as much as can without
being anal about "reproduction" or "antique" status.

--

dpb wrote:
On 02/18/2016 12:51 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

I'd probably do nothing (other than keep them out of the weather )
than perhaps sand a little and oil, then.

As Ed says, you can fill but unless the cracking is so bad they're
actually going to fail or they're uncomfortable, a little checking won't
make any significant difference on the longevity and I tend to prefer
that stuff that's old with "character" keep that as much as can without
being anal about "reproduction" or "antique" status.

I've got a flat Stanley driver that just big enough to be more of a really
well made prybar that I like (got it from an old timer for a token amount,
then he died). It's old enough to be wood with a blue paint job. I use my
tools, so it's not going on a display case or anything, but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

The plastic stuff we have is maintenance free, so "screwdriver PM day"
doesn't really happen around here too often.

On Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 4:07:05 PM UTC-5, Cydrome Leader wrote:

What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

You might look up Boiled Linseed Oil / Crazy glue on the internet. It is quick, but may not last too many years.

Dan

On 02/18/2016 3:07 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
....

I've got a flat Stanley driver that just big enough to be more of a really
well made prybar that I like (got it from an old timer for a token amount,
then he died). It's old enough to be wood with a blue paint job. I use my
tools, so it's not going on a display case or anything, but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

We just did "flat Stanley" for the youngest grandson...

On a painted handle, I'd probably only add a wipe-on varnish after
cleaning...

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

Mostly nothing other than keep dry. I've several wood-handled
screwdrivers from grandfather that've been here on the farm since the
'20s or maybe even were original ten years prior to that, I don't know.
I remember using them from the time I was first big enough to get into
stuff...
....

--

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

Actually, just using them regularly likely kept them in good condition.
Human skin oils are also effective 'drying oils' for finishing wood.

Lloyd

dpb wrote:
On 02/18/2016 3:07 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
...

I've got a flat Stanley driver that just big enough to be more of a really
well made prybar that I like (got it from an old timer for a token amount,
then he died). It's old enough to be wood with a blue paint job. I use my
tools, so it's not going on a display case or anything, but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

We just did "flat Stanley" for the youngest grandson...

Nice.

On a painted handle, I'd probably only add a wipe-on varnish after
cleaning...

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

Mostly nothing other than keep dry. I've several wood-handled
screwdrivers from grandfather that've been here on the farm since the
'20s or maybe even were original ten years prior to that, I don't know.
I remember using them from the time I was first big enough to get into
stuff...

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

Recently Went to the guitar center with a friend who picked up some drum
sticks. I noticed they proudly state "hickory" on the good ones, so I
asked the sales guy what's special about hickory and mentioned it's what
good hammer handles are made from. He said will gracefully break and never
shatter into splinters. Guess that's a common desired factor in striking
tools and drum sticks.

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na5mgv
:

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

For good ones, it was often Rosewood early-on, then Walnut, often. The
"Perfect Pattern Handle" was the first successful commercial version.

Lloyd

I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Martin

On 2/18/2016 3:07 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
dpb wrote:
On 02/18/2016 12:51 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

I'd probably do nothing (other than keep them out of the weather )
than perhaps sand a little and oil, then.

As Ed says, you can fill but unless the cracking is so bad they're
actually going to fail or they're uncomfortable, a little checking won't
make any significant difference on the longevity and I tend to prefer
that stuff that's old with "character" keep that as much as can without
being anal about "reproduction" or "antique" status.

I've got a flat Stanley driver that just big enough to be more of a really
well made prybar that I like (got it from an old timer for a token amount,
then he died). It's old enough to be wood with a blue paint job. I use my
tools, so it's not going on a display case or anything, but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

The plastic stuff we have is maintenance free, so "screwdriver PM day"
doesn't really happen around here too often.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 10:13:19 -0800, MOP CAP wrote:

I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?

Clean them with soap and water, then let them dry. Then clean them
with mineral spirits. Each cleans different dirts/oils from them.

Then give them a treatment with one of the following wipe-on tung oil
varnishes: Waterlox Satin (my favorite), Watco, or (since it is about
all that stores carry any more, cringe) Minwax Wipe-On Poly (did I
really type that out loud?) sigh

I said to remove them so you can finish all sides and truly seal them.
2 coats will do it. More than that may cause the handles to get
slippery when your palms are wet. You want a sealer rather than a
thick film finish.

--
No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy
of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows;
in no way can the success of evil be made quicker or surer.
--Theodore Roosevelt

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na5mgv
:

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

For good ones, it was often Rosewood early-on, then Walnut, often. The
"Perfect Pattern Handle" was the first successful commercial version.

Rosewood is one strange material. Had a small coupon of it on my keychain
for years, it was outlasting the other metal junk attached next to it.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 20:49:19 -0600
Martin Eastburn wrote:

I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Martin

I've got a couple Stanleys that do that too. Both have triangular
shaped handles, kinda translucent charcoal color. I used my
finger nail to scrape most of it off (big tough nails). Figured it
had something to do with being kept in the basement and too much
humidity at times...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

Martin Eastburn wrote:
I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na7kum
:

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?

All of them. I have always owned Xcelite tools since being in the TV
repair business in the 1960s, and the computer biz in the 70s through
1997.

All of their plastic handles, upon exposure to high humidity and warm
temps develop that white haze of fungus. It has to be one of the
plasticizers they use.

No biggy. A little abrasive cleaner like fine steel wool brings them
right back to shape.

Lloyd

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na7kum
:

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?

All of them. I have always owned Xcelite tools since being in the TV
repair business in the 1960s, and the computer biz in the 70s through
1997.

All of their plastic handles, upon exposure to high humidity and warm
temps develop that white haze of fungus. It has to be one of the
plasticizers they use.

No biggy. A little abrasive cleaner like fine steel wool brings them
right back to shape.

never seen this- have used a ton of them, old and new. Is it real mold or
some sort of haze, like superglue on plastic haze? It's not super humid or
hot all the time in Chicago though.

Not sure about xcelite, but lots of screwdriver handles are acetate. No
plasticizers in there. Do you have something that off-gasses around your
tools?

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na85c8
:

Not sure about xcelite, but lots of screwdriver handles are acetate. No
plasticizers in there. Do you have something that off-gasses around
your
tools?

Nah... it's specific to Xcelite tools. I've been experiencing this since
the 1960s, and I have lots of other brands that don't do it.

This is Florida. 90% humidity, and temps in the 90s, ALL SUMMER LONG.
G

And it is a fungus, but an innocuous one, apparently. No stink, but
under magnification, you can see the fruiting bodies.

Lloyd

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)

Martin

On 2/19/2016 10:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na5mgv
:

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

For good ones, it was often Rosewood early-on, then Walnut, often. The
"Perfect Pattern Handle" was the first successful commercial version.

Rosewood is one strange material. Had a small coupon of it on my keychain
for years, it was outlasting the other metal junk attached next to it.

Just noticed my wood chisels are frosty white. I'll have to clean them
now. They were clear plastic. Must be the type. Sears about 20 years
ago... could be any name brand.

Martin


On 2/18/2016 8:49 PM, Martin Eastburn wrote:
I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Martin

On 2/18/2016 3:07 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
dpb wrote:
On 02/18/2016 12:51 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
On 2016-02-18 18:41:23 +0000, dpb said:

On 02/18/2016 12:13 PM, MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very
weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,

Just surface weathered w/ a few cracks or is it "punky"???

Weathered with a few cracks.

I'd probably do nothing (other than keep them out of the weather )
than perhaps sand a little and oil, then.

As Ed says, you can fill but unless the cracking is so bad they're
actually going to fail or they're uncomfortable, a little checking won't
make any significant difference on the longevity and I tend to prefer
that stuff that's old with "character" keep that as much as can without
being anal about "reproduction" or "antique" status.

I've got a flat Stanley driver that just big enough to be more of a
really
well made prybar that I like (got it from an old timer for a token
amount,
then he died). It's old enough to be wood with a blue paint job. I use my
tools, so it's not going on a display case or anything, but what might be
a good way to seal it up and protect it just a bit so the paint lasts a
bit longer?

What did folks do back in the day, if anything with these tools to keep
them in good shape?

The plastic stuff we have is maintenance free, so "screwdriver PM day"
doesn't really happen around here too often.

I have small kits of all color and they use the black handles that the
nut drivers or screw drivers slip in. All of them black blue yellow....

Might be a polycarbonate or something. My shop is 80% if the outside is.

Martin

On 2/19/2016 11:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)


I believe that is silica - same stuff sand and glass is made of.

Cedar tends to have a fair amount of it too. One of the things that
makes both a little tricky to glue.
Martin

On 2/19/2016 10:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na5mgv
:

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

For good ones, it was often Rosewood early-on, then Walnut, often. The
"Perfect Pattern Handle" was the first successful commercial version.

Rosewood is one strange material. Had a small coupon of it on my keychain
for years, it was outlasting the other metal junk attached next to it.

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:29:32 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I have small kits of all color and they use the black handles that the
nut drivers or screw drivers slip in. All of them black blue yellow....

Might be a polycarbonate or something. My shop is 80% if the outside is.

Martin

On 2/19/2016 11:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?


Early craftsman drivers had the same problem. I believe they were
either tenite or acetate based plastic (made from cellulose)

From Eastman Kodak information:


http://www.eastman.com/Literature_Center/P/PP104.pdf

You will find the "deterioration" is caused by ultraviolet exposure
(and I suspect also from ozone)

MOP CAP wrote:
I recently picked up some old almost all metal screwdrivers. The ones
with just the wood inserts in the handles. The wood is very weathered.
What type of treatment can I use to stabilize the wood in the handle?
Thanks,
CP


Kwik-Poly. http://kwikpolyllc.com/ It's a water thin two part epoxy.
Scuff the wood with some 220 or so to open the pores and brush on a few
coats, it will absorb into the wood. Let it cure for a few hours and
lightly scuff it to even out the finish. The wood will last a LONG time.

This stuff works great to seal fuel tanks as well as a host of other things.

--
Steve W.

On Friday, February 19, 2016 at 5:14:59 PM UTC-8, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
[about white blush on plastic handles]

And it is a fungus, but an innocuous one, apparently. No stink, but
under magnification, you can see the fruiting bodies.

Tripoli and a buffing wheel. Or a rag and some metal polish. It comes right off.

fired this volley in
:

You will find the "deterioration" is caused by ultraviolet exposure
(and I suspect also from ozone)


That might be the case with the Craftsman handles. I can assure you it
never was the case with my Xcelite tools, because they were only used
indoors, and kept in the dark all the time they were not in the active
position on a fastener. (tool roll, inside a closed briefcase-style
toolkit.

If _never_ handled, they keep for years without any discoloration. Once
touched, if used frequently, the blush never appears. Store one in the
dark for a few months without use, and it's almost white all over.

Besides, we looked at some under the microscope... just out of curiosity.
It's clearly a fungal growth.

LLoyd

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 06:55:16 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

fired this volley in
:

You will find the "deterioration" is caused by ultraviolet exposure
(and I suspect also from ozone)


That might be the case with the Craftsman handles. I can assure you it
never was the case with my Xcelite tools, because they were only used
indoors, and kept in the dark all the time they were not in the active
position on a fastener. (tool roll, inside a closed briefcase-style
toolkit.

If _never_ handled, they keep for years without any discoloration. Once
touched, if used frequently, the blush never appears. Store one in the
dark for a few months without use, and it's almost white all over.

Besides, we looked at some under the microscope... just out of curiosity.
It's clearly a fungal growth.

LLoyd
I still suspect they are either Tenite or Acetate - modified celulose
- whether it is ultraviolet/ozone oxidation or actual fungus

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)

Bamboo is also full of silicon and is thus hard on tooling.


--
No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy
of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows;
in no way can the success of evil be made quicker or surer.
--Theodore Roosevelt

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 01:06:23 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)


I believe that is silica - same stuff sand and glass is made of.

Yeah, what he said.

--
No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy
of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows;
in no way can the success of evil be made quicker or surer.
--Theodore Roosevelt

On Sat, 20 Feb 2016 01:25:26 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:29:32 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

I have small kits of all color and they use the black handles that the
nut drivers or screw drivers slip in. All of them black blue yellow....

Might be a polycarbonate or something. My shop is 80% if the outside is.

Martin

On 2/19/2016 11:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Martin Eastburn wrote:
I've found the plastic in X-lite tends to get oxide or is attacked with
a mold. I have sets of them that get gray and fuzzy. Not flaky.

I put them in a basket in my RF sweeping cem tank and some Simple green
or like. In a day they are bright and nice again.

I haven't seen the effect on anything but the x-lite brand. I suspect
a different plastic is used and that makes the difference.

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?


Early craftsman drivers had the same problem. I believe they were
either tenite or acetate based plastic (made from cellulose)

Did you say cellulose?

http://www.foodrenegade.com/would-li...redded-cheese/



--
No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy
of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows;
in no way can the success of evil be made quicker or surer.
--Theodore Roosevelt

On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 16:12:56 -0600, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na7kum
:

Is this a problem with the black or the fruit colored handles?

All of them. I have always owned Xcelite tools since being in the TV
repair business in the 1960s, and the computer biz in the 70s through
1997.

All of their plastic handles, upon exposure to high humidity and warm
temps develop that white haze of fungus. It has to be one of the
plasticizers they use.

No biggy. A little abrasive cleaner like fine steel wool brings them
right back to shape.

Lloyd

I agree..same here.

Gunner

Silicon is the element. Si
Silica is the oxide form of Silicon or SiO2

On 2/20/2016 12:06 AM, wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)


I believe that is silica - same stuff sand and glass is made of.

Cedar tends to have a fair amount of it too. One of the things that
makes both a little tricky to glue.
Martin

On 2/19/2016 10:55 AM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Cydrome Leader fired this volley in news:na5mgv
:

Anybody know if there was a preferred type of wood used for screwdriver
handles?

For good ones, it was often Rosewood early-on, then Walnut, often. The
"Perfect Pattern Handle" was the first successful commercial version.

Rosewood is one strange material. Had a small coupon of it on my keychain
for years, it was outlasting the other metal junk attached next to it.

Martin Eastburn fired this volley in news:X_
:

Silicon is the element. Si
Silica is the oxide form of Silicon or SiO2

Yes... We knew that.

'Do chemistry as a part of my 'fun' Elemental silicon is actually a useful
material in some of what I do. G

LLoyd

I used it, SiGe GaAs and another in diodes. :-)

Martin

On 2/20/2016 8:17 PM, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
Martin Eastburn fired this volley in news:X_
:

Silicon is the element. Si
Silica is the oxide form of Silicon or SiO2

Yes... We knew that.

'Do chemistry as a part of my 'fun' Elemental silicon is actually a useful
material in some of what I do. G

LLoyd

Martin Eastburn fired this volley in
:

I used it, SiGe GaAs and another in diodes. :-)

Hah! That, too, in my former life as a digital circuit designer.

Now, I use elemental Si as a 'heat' additive to pyrotechnic compositions!
Military apps use quite a bit of it. G

Lloyd

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)

Bamboo is also full of silicon and is thus hard on tooling.

I've heard stories that you can get sparks cutting large pieces of
rosewood. How do all these minerals even get into the wood in the first
place? It doesn't seem like silica/sand get be absorbed by plants and end
up in the wood.

On 02/22/2016 2:46 PM, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Larry wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)

Bamboo is also full of silicon and is thus hard on tooling.

I've heard stories that you can get sparks cutting large pieces of
rosewood. How do all these minerals even get into the wood in the first
place? It doesn't seem like silica/sand get be absorbed by plants and end
up in the wood.

They're formed internally from the dissolved minerals in the water taken
in and then crystalize.

Ash are another altho again it's "silca" and "silicates", various oxides
of silicon the element.

--

"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what
it
slides against... :-)

Bamboo is also full of silicon and is thus hard on tooling.

I've heard stories that you can get sparks cutting large pieces of
rosewood. How do all these minerals even get into the wood in the
first
place? It doesn't seem like silica/sand get be absorbed by plants
and end
up in the wood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolith

On Mon, 22 Feb 2016 20:46:43 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 19 Feb 2016 21:24:57 -0600, Martin Eastburn
wrote:

It is typically full of silicon. Tough on tooling. Tough on what it
slides against... :-)

Bamboo is also full of silicon and is thus hard on tooling.

I've heard stories that you can get sparks cutting large pieces of
rosewood. How do all these minerals even get into the wood in the first
place? It doesn't seem like silica/sand get be absorbed by plants and end
up in the wood.

That's exactly how it gets in there. The whole process is a bit
mysterious, but the idea is that silica is absorbed as silicic acid
and silica is deposited on the cell walls. Some plants absorb more
than others. Grasses, like bamboo, absorb a lot. FWIW, rosewood is
related to the sweet pea. I don't know if that has anything to do with
its silica absorption, but it's a curious aside.

[Courtesy of the Master Gardener program I almost finished at Rutgers,
before I got too sick to finish it.]

--
Ed Huntress