I want to refurbish a mouth organ. It's an old Hohner Chromonica, I
have a few already, but this one has been played by a smoker and it stinks.

Obviously, the metal parts can be cleaned and sterilised easily, but the
comb (the 'body' with the various channels) is made of pear wood and
wouldn't take kindly to immersion in an aqueous solution.

I'll probably just bin it and save the metal parts for spares - no great
loss, these are very good mouth organs but not rare at all - but is
there anything worth trying first? Would IPA, for example, harm the wood?

Cheers
--
Syd

On 04/07/2016 20:21, Syd Rumpo wrote:
I want to refurbish a mouth organ. It's an old Hohner Chromonica, I
have a few already, but this one has been played by a smoker and it stinks.

Obviously, the metal parts can be cleaned and sterilised easily, but the
comb (the 'body' with the various channels) is made of pear wood and
wouldn't take kindly to immersion in an aqueous solution.

I'll probably just bin it and save the metal parts for spares - no great
loss, these are very good mouth organs but not rare at all - but is
there anything worth trying first? Would IPA, for example, harm the wood?

Cheers

IPA? Wot? Beer AND Fags?

I'd normally suggest sunlight and fresh air -especially as we are
officially in Summer now. But if you are waiting for sunlight here in
Dear Old Blighty, I wouldn't hold your breath[1]

Nick
[1]Use your breath for blowing and sucking eh?

On 7/4/2016 8:21 PM, Syd Rumpo wrote:
I want to refurbish a mouth organ. It's an old Hohner Chromonica, I
have a few already, but this one has been played by a smoker and it stinks.

Obviously, the metal parts can be cleaned and sterilised easily, but the
comb (the 'body' with the various channels) is made of pear wood and
wouldn't take kindly to immersion in an aqueous solution.

I'll probably just bin it and save the metal parts for spares - no great
loss, these are very good mouth organs but not rare at all - but is
there anything worth trying first? Would IPA, for example, harm the wood?

Cheers

If you are happy to strip it down to the wood (which means every surface
has immediate access to any solution) I don't see that there is anything
to lose from soaking it in IPA although I suspect the nicotine may be
hard to remove.

Interested to see you can buy "neat" d-limonene fairly easily

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MG-Chemical...monene+cleaner

This is the active ingredient in many industrial and domestic cleaners /
degreasers now that the traditional trichlorethylene / carbon
tetrachloride products are now no longer available.

It's supposed to be a very effective solvent for a lot of organic
compounds.

Limonene is not water soluble, but it can be persuaded to emulsify, most
products containing it are water-based.

I guess the comb is actually quite tolerant of high moisture conditions,
given how it is used.

On Monday, 4 July 2016 20:21:18 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
I want to refurbish a mouth organ. It's an old Hohner Chromonica, I
have a few already, but this one has been played by a smoker and it stinks.

Obviously, the metal parts can be cleaned and sterilised easily, but the
comb (the 'body' with the various channels) is made of pear wood and
wouldn't take kindly to immersion in an aqueous solution.

I'll probably just bin it and save the metal parts for spares - no great
loss, these are very good mouth organs but not rare at all - but is
there anything worth trying first? Would IPA, for example, harm the wood?


Meths.

On 04/07/16 21:02, newshound wrote:

If you are happy to strip it down to the wood (which means every surface
has immediate access to any solution) I don't see that there is anything
to lose from soaking it in IPA although I suspect the nicotine may be
hard to remove.


Wont that just make it smell of beer AND fags, instead of just fags?



--
You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a
kind word alone.

Al Capone

On 04/07/2016 21:02, newshound wrote:
On 7/4/2016 8:21 PM, Syd Rumpo wrote:
I want to refurbish a mouth organ. It's an old Hohner Chromonica, I
have a few already, but this one has been played by a smoker and it
stinks.

Obviously, the metal parts can be cleaned and sterilised easily, but the
comb (the 'body' with the various channels) is made of pear wood and
wouldn't take kindly to immersion in an aqueous solution.

I'll probably just bin it and save the metal parts for spares - no great
loss, these are very good mouth organs but not rare at all - but is
there anything worth trying first? Would IPA, for example, harm the
wood?

Cheers

If you are happy to strip it down to the wood (which means every surface
has immediate access to any solution) I don't see that there is anything
to lose from soaking it in IPA although I suspect the nicotine may be
hard to remove.

snip

Well, it worked to an extent. It's much less ash-tray like and will
probably be ok after a long airing.

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit pricey,
but I may well try one.

http://www.brendan-power.com/combs-hohner.php

Cheers
--
Syd

On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.


NT

On 05/07/2016 14:48, wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.


NT

Actually, this usage fits well, I think - a low volume specialist
product. £40 (or £30 if you sand it yourself) may be a bit steep for
using with my £10 ebay refurb job (actually free - I got a refund
because of the stink of fags and they don't want it back), but these
mouth organs would cost upwards of £100 new, and Brendan Power is world
renowned both for his playing and building.

Cheers
--
Syd

On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 15:32:02 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
On 05/07/2016 14:48, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

Actually, this usage fits well, I think - a low volume specialist
product. £40 (or £30 if you sand it yourself) may be a bit steep for
using with my £10 ebay refurb job (actually free - I got a refund
because of the stink of fags and they don't want it back), but these
mouth organs would cost upwards of £100 new, and Brendan Power is world
renowned both for his playing and building.

Cheers

One day 3d printers will just work, no messing about. And they'll be cheap, and they'll work off the contents of the kitchen bin. Then they'll start to take over. Until then it's just a tiny amount of niche jobs they're good for.


NT

On 05/07/2016 06:20, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 04/07/16 21:02, newshound wrote:

If you are happy to strip it down to the wood (which means every surface
has immediate access to any solution) I don't see that there is anything
to lose from soaking it in IPA although I suspect the nicotine may be
hard to remove.


Wont that just make it smell of beer AND fags, instead of just fags?



Like Farage.

--
Rod

wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 15:32:02 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
On 05/07/2016 14:48, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

Actually, this usage fits well, I think - a low volume specialist
product. £40 (or £30 if you sand it yourself) may be a bit steep for
using with my £10 ebay refurb job (actually free - I got a refund
because of the stink of fags and they don't want it back), but these
mouth organs would cost upwards of £100 new, and Brendan Power is world
renowned both for his playing and building.

One day 3d printers will just work, no messing about. And they'll
be cheap, and they'll work off the contents of the kitchen bin.

Taint gunna happen. Can't make your car, house or
even furniture that way, let alone the appliances.

Then they'll start to take over.

Nope.

Until then it's just a tiny amount of niche jobs they're good for.

That is all they will ever be good for.

On 7/5/2016 11:48 PM, Rod Speed wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 15:32:02 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
On 05/07/2016 14:48, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make
replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

Actually, this usage fits well, I think - a low volume specialist
product. £40 (or £30 if you sand it yourself) may be a bit steep for
using with my £10 ebay refurb job (actually free - I got a refund
because of the stink of fags and they don't want it back), but these
mouth organs would cost upwards of £100 new, and Brendan Power is world
renowned both for his playing and building.

One day 3d printers will just work, no messing about. And they'll
be cheap, and they'll work off the contents of the kitchen bin.

Taint gunna happen. Can't make your car, house or
even furniture that way, let alone the appliances.

Then they'll start to take over.

Nope.

Until then it's just a tiny amount of niche jobs they're good for.

That is all they will ever be good for.

You are both right. We will never be making washing machine or car
spares in the kitchen. They are already used in industry for production
of high tech metal parts, as well as prototyping. I expect to see them
used increasingly for low volume and custom metal and plastic products
as the technology gets better (and it will). My money would be on laser
sintering for metal stuff.

"newshound" wrote in message
...
On 7/5/2016 11:48 PM, Rod Speed wrote:


wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 15:32:02 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
On 05/07/2016 14:48, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make
replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just
uneconomic.

Actually, this usage fits well, I think - a low volume specialist
product. £40 (or £30 if you sand it yourself) may be a bit steep for
using with my £10 ebay refurb job (actually free - I got a refund
because of the stink of fags and they don't want it back), but these
mouth organs would cost upwards of £100 new, and Brendan Power is world
renowned both for his playing and building.

One day 3d printers will just work, no messing about. And they'll
be cheap, and they'll work off the contents of the kitchen bin.

Taint gunna happen. Can't make your car, house or
even furniture that way, let alone the appliances.

Then they'll start to take over.

Nope.

Until then it's just a tiny amount of niche jobs they're good for.

That is all they will ever be good for.

You are both right.

He isnt, I am.

We will never be making washing machine or car spares in the kitchen.

From the contents of the kitchen bin.

They are already used in industry for production of high tech metal parts,
as well as prototyping.

Not using the contents of the kitchen bin.

I expect to see them used increasingly for low volume and custom metal and
plastic products as the technology gets better (and it will).

Yes, but not using the contents of the kitchen bin.

My money would be on laser sintering for metal stuff.

Me too.

On Wednesday, 6 July 2016 10:29:08 UTC+1, newshound wrote:
tabbypurr wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 15:32:02 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
On 05/07/2016 14:48, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:
8

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make
replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

One day 3d printers will just work, no messing about. And they'll
be cheap, and they'll work off the contents of the kitchen bin.
Then they'll start to take over.
Until then it's just a tiny amount of niche jobs they're good for.

You are both right. We will never be making washing machine or car
spares in the kitchen.

They're already used to make plastic spare parts. Perhaps one day the machine can analyse the break and work out or look up the correct shape, then print it.

They are already used in industry for production
of high tech metal parts, as well as prototyping. I expect to see them
used increasingly for low volume and custom metal and plastic products
as the technology gets better (and it will). My money would be on laser
sintering for metal stuff.

I expect a major future use for them will be turning the plastic content of the typical domestic bin into household goods. In such a role it doesn't matter if it takes all night to make one item, it's still quicker than getting the item any other way.


NT

On Tue, 05 Jul 2016 06:48:11 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

However, when it comes to small unobtainable plastic spare parts (like
the deliberately badly designed whishbone linkage between the on/off
button and the boil detect shut-off switch typical of generic electric
jug kettles you can buy for anywhere from 11 quid to 55 quid or more, it
only takes just a few such repairs[1] to effect a return on your 3D
printer investment in terms of savings made by extending the service life
from a matter of months (typically 15 to 24) out to a more reasonable 6
to 10 years.


[1] Not *all* jug kettle repairs, btw - that was just an example of the
breed of deliberately week parts used to cause household appliances to
fail in an undramatic and safe way as part of the strategy to provide a
never ending demand for out of warranty replacements.

Relying on a cheap piece of plastic vital to the functioning of the
appliance is the manufacturers' most favoured choice of a life limiting
part since, if they miscalculate and find themselves swamped with a
warranty returns rate that burns up their stock of 'over-production'
normally used to expedite the anticipated percentage of warranty returns,
they can simply outsource warranty repairs to a repair centre local to
the target export market region (usually a nation like the UK) and ship
out a few thousands of the required 'spares' to those (more like that)
repair centre(s) at very little manufacturing cost (along with bugger all
labour costs per repaired appliance - shipping costs are very likely to
outweigh the actual parts and labour costs themselves!).

The electric jug kettle is a shining example of this principle (a single
critical cheap part which failure mode results in nothing more dramatic
that it quietly stops the kettle from performing its function). Just
about everything else in an electric jug kettle is a safety critical part
or one that can fail in a dramatic, if still relatively harmless fashion.

The last thing any self respecting manufacturer wants is an appliance
that fails in a dramatic and 'shouty' way leading to unwanted publicity
by a news media machine only too willing to exaggerate the 'dangers' no
matter how slight (Bad news sells newspapers). Also, of course, there can
be health and safety consequences from even a relatively harmless (in
itself) but dramatic failure.

--
Johnny B Good

On Wednesday, 6 July 2016 20:05:53 UTC+1, Johnny B Good wrote:
On Tue, 05 Jul 2016 06:48:11 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make replacement
combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just uneconomic.

However, when it comes to small unobtainable plastic spare parts (like
the deliberately badly designed whishbone linkage between the on/off
button and the boil detect shut-off switch typical of generic electric
jug kettles you can buy for anywhere from 11 quid to 55 quid or more, it
only takes just a few such repairs[1] to effect a return on your 3D
printer investment in terms of savings made by extending the service life
from a matter of months (typically 15 to 24) out to a more reasonable 6
to 10 years.

Where do you get these £10 3d printers then?


NT

On Wed, 06 Jul 2016 14:40:59 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

On Wednesday, 6 July 2016 20:05:53 UTC+1, Johnny B Good wrote:
On Tue, 05 Jul 2016 06:48:11 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 5 July 2016 13:42:38 UTC+1, Syd Rumpo wrote:

I was musing that a 3D printer would be a good way to make
replacement combs - the pearwood can sometimes swell and split.

Then I discovered that Brendan Power is already doing it - a bit
pricey,
but I may well try one.

That's the trouble with 3d printing. A great idea but just
uneconomic.

However, when it comes to small unobtainable plastic spare parts (like
the deliberately badly designed whishbone linkage between the on/off
button and the boil detect shut-off switch typical of generic electric
jug kettles you can buy for anywhere from 11 quid to 55 quid or more,
it only takes just a few such repairs[1] to effect a return on your 3D
printer investment in terms of savings made by extending the service
life from a matter of months (typically 15 to 24) out to a more
reasonable 6 to 10 years.

Where do you get these £10 3d printers then?

You build your own from pound shop parts. :-)

--
Johnny B Good