A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated, some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob

On 12/12/2012 10:48, robgraham wrote:
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated, some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know

In a bedroom it will be a mixture of textile fibres and dead skin mostly.

it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

The textile fibres mostly I would have though...


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Electro static attraction maybe?

Damp in the air...

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"John Rumm" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 12/12/2012 10:48, robgraham wrote:
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated, some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know

In a bedroom it will be a mixture of textile fibres and dead skin mostly.

it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

The textile fibres mostly I would have though...


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 12/12/2012 11:00, Brian Gaff wrote:
Electro static attraction maybe?

Damp in the air...

Brian



Possibly dust mites excrement binding the non organic dust together...yuk!

"robgraham" wrote in message
...
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it
became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,
some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob


Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.
Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the
years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes eventually
bridging the gap with silk.

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick its easy to accumulate
a golf ball sized lump of the stuff visible as big lumps of
dust/fluff on the end of the stick just by twirling it around.


michael adams

....

michael adams wrote:
wrote in message
...
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it
became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,
some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob


Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.
Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the
years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes eventually
bridging the gap with silk.

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick its easy to accumulate
a golf ball sized lump of the stuff visible as big lumps of
dust/fluff on the end of the stick just by twirling it around.

how fairy floss collection was invented?


michael adams

...

On 12/12/2012 11:17, michael adams wrote:
"robgraham" wrote in message
...
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it
became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,
some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob


Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.
Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the
years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes eventually
bridging the gap with silk.

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick its easy to accumulate
a golf ball sized lump of the stuff visible as big lumps of
dust/fluff on the end of the stick just by twirling it around.


michael adams

....



Do daddy long legs make silk?
Are they spiders?

http://insects.about.com/od/noninsec...dylonglegs.htm

--
Rod

On 12/12/2012 13:07, polygonum wrote:



Do daddy long legs make silk?
Are they spiders?

http://insects.about.com/od/noninsec...dylonglegs.htm


USA?

"polygonum" wrote in message
...
On 12/12/2012 11:17, michael adams wrote:
"robgraham" wrote in message
...
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it
became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the
narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,
some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism
that
makes it bind ?

Rob


Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.
Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the
years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes
eventually
bridging the gap with silk.

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick its easy to accumulate
a golf ball sized lump of the stuff visible as big lumps of
dust/fluff on the end of the stick just by twirling it around.


michael adams

....



Do daddy long legs make silk?
Are they spiders?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcus_phalangioides


michael adams

....




http://insects.about.com/od/noninsec...dylonglegs.htm

--
Rod

Just to add to the confusion, I've also heard crane flies* called "daddy
long legs" - due to the way the legs dangle in flight I guess.

Lee

*might just be another peculiarity of this strange Kent town pml

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:07:59 +0000, polygonum wrote:

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders

Do daddy long legs make silk?
Are they spiders?

Well there seem to be at least three creatures that use the term "Daddy
Long Legs"

Cellar Spiders: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae
Harvestman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvestman
Crane Fly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly

Cellar Spiders do produce silk the other two don't.

http://insects.about.com/od/noninsec...dylonglegs.htm

That's a Harvestman.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 11:17:37 AM UTC, michael adams wrote:
"robgraham" wrote in message

...

A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the

bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it

became

clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow

gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,

some

of it lumps of 100mm x 50.



What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know

it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that

makes it bind ?



Rob





Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.

Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the

years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes eventually

bridging the gap with silk.



Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges

(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick its easy to accumulate

a golf ball sized lump of the stuff visible as big lumps of

dust/fluff on the end of the stick just by twirling it around.

Like candy floss but nom as colourful or tastey ;-)






michael adams



...

On 12 Dec, 11:17, "michael adams" wrote:
"robgraham" wrote in message

...

A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it
became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated,
some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? *Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob

Most likely it clumps together with sticky silk from spiders.
Wherever there's a gap wide enough to get a stick down, over the
years you can be sure to get plenty of spiders of all sizes eventually
bridging the gap with silk.

Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders with a long stick

They carry sticks now??!!

On 12/12/2012 11:17, michael adams wrote:
Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders

IIRC phalanges are the bones in your hand (not the fingers, but the
palm) fx googles Phalangiidae?

Andy

On 12/12/2012 21:00, Andy Champ wrote:
On 12/12/2012 11:17, michael adams wrote:
Clearing the corners of a room of hammock webs made by phalanges
(daddy long legs) spiders

IIRC phalanges are the bones in your hand (not the fingers, but the
palm) fx googles Phalangiidae?

Andy

Phalanges are the fingers of the digits - those of the palm are
metacarpals, of the wrist, carpals. (Tarsals for feet.)

--
Rod

On 12/12/2012 21:05, polygonum wrote:

Phalanges are the fingers of the digits - those of the palm are
metacarpals, of the wrist, carpals. (Tarsals for feet.)


I stand (or perhaps brachiate!) corrected.

Andy

On 13/12/2012 20:58, Andy Champ wrote:
On 12/12/2012 21:05, polygonum wrote:

Phalanges are the fingers of the digits - those of the palm are
metacarpals, of the wrist, carpals. (Tarsals for feet.)


I stand (or perhaps brachiate!) corrected.

Andy

And I shall correct what I typed:

Phalanges are the bones of the digits...

:-)

--
Rod

Andy Champ wrote:

On 12/12/2012 11:17, michael adams wrote:

webs made by phalanges (daddy long legs) spiders

fx googles Phalangiidae?

fx wikies Pholcidae?

On Dec 12, 10:48*am, robgraham wrote:
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated, some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? *Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob

Flakes of human skin. We all give them off.
Most house dust is human skin and a whole range of nasty mites etc
live off it. Some people are allergic to the housemite **** dust.

On 12/12/2012 10:48, robgraham wrote:
A book has just fallen down the side of a filing cabinet in the
bedroom - the cabinet has been there for some 20 years, and it became
clear as I poked with a long stick to get the book out of the narrow
gap that a lot of grey almost felt like material had accumulated, some
of it lumps of 100mm x 50.

What actually is this and why does it clump together ? Yes I know
it's dirt/dust - call it what you like but what's the mechanism that
makes it bind ?

Rob


I've always wondered what the white fungusy stuff you get in the corners
of sheds is.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 12/12/2012 19:02, The Medway Handyman wrote:
I've always wondered what the white fungusy stuff you get in the corners
of sheds is.

Dry rot?

On Wed, 12 Dec 2012 19:02:18 +0000, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

I've always wondered what the white fungusy stuff you get in the corners
of sheds is.

The lost shoppers.