ABS materials

[Ron Nossaman]

Re: testing,

Never put a flange (ABS or otherwise) in your mouth, because the flange
likes it, and you can never be sure where it's been.

P.S. I don't think ABS 'times out'. In fact, it could very well be immortal.
Perhaps we could fabricate tunings out of the stuff and drive ourselves out
of business for lack of repeat customers. Caveat: charge accordingly.

Other than that, the flanges should work fine in any application.

Ron

At 03:26 PM 9/15/98 -0400, you wrote:
>I can't speak to the use of ABS regarding their use in player operations.
>However, I feel qualified to stop the 'implication of' Andy's statement
>before it becomes part of the discussion and/or rumor mill.
>
>ABS is not the same material as earlier, nitro-cellulose offerings. As a
>material, it's use is also not exclusive to either Kawai or pianos.
>However, prior to being incorporated into pianos, the material was tested
>in manners that bordered on obscene! The tests included, in part:
>temperature (alternately heating/freezing), underground burial, and parts
>being left on roof tops across seasons -- with ultra-violet exposure and
>whatever else the elements had to offer. As far as I know, the control
>models may still be under test decades later.
>
>I once performed a rudimentary and totally unscientific test of ABS.
>Recalling that nitro-based materials would violently self destruct when
>ignited, I tried to nuke several different ABS parts -- flanges, jacks,
>etc. Results? As long as direct flame was applied, the part would "attempt"
>to burn. It would emit a small trail of black smoke, deform at the exact
>spot of the flame, and generally appear quite ugly. When the flame was
>removed, the part would self-extinguish (woudn't support combustion on it's
>own). Of course, the part was often useless afterwards, but that wasn't the
>point of the test.
>
>Finally, any time comparisons are moot -- ABS materials have already
>outlived those earlier offerings by many years in the U.S. alone. And, they
>were used in Japan for domestic production long before they were introduced
>[accepted] here. If the parts started to fail today for the same reasons,
>they would still have been superior in time/use ratio to earlier materials.
>
>Providing Kawai replacement parts through alternate channels (supply
>houses) has been discussed many times in the past. I personally like the
>idea, but any such suggestions have always been ignored. Kawai America
>remains the source for replacement parts.
>
>
>[snippet from Andy]
>IMO, ABS might be the answer. info please Don? as long as the ABS doesn't
>"time out" like those god awful spinet elbows, and fall apart internally, It
>might be superior to wood. where would I inquire about getting some of these
>parts? Schaff doesn't list them.
>
>
>Jim Harvey, RPT
>harvey@greenwood.net
>
>
 Ron