Butt, of course. I am not an entomologist but years ago I did study the compounds that make up traditional shellac and other finishes used on phonographs in general. Raw shellac is made by the laccifera lacca (or lac beetle). The amber color is caused by a chemical in the reproductive organs of the female that is secreted when she lays eggs. When the eggs (several hundred at a time) hatch they disperse over the limbs of trees that have very high water content. As they spread out, they attached themselves by their mouths to leaves or stems so they can sort of intravenously obtain water and food. Then they live in the same spot for their whole life...In the dark....Yawn...
As they mature from their pupa to adult state, they secrete (i.e. excrete) a tacky wax rich chemical that further entombs them in their cocoon like shell. Very hard scales develop as the water evaporates which ultimately serves to protect them from their predators...well except for the people whose job it is to collect all the little shellac nodules from the branches. Shellac is neat stuff... -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Robert Plavzic Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:21 AM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad Hi Or if one really wants to go off at a tangent, Shellack, another prime component of 78s is something that is derived from the south side of a northwards moving beetle (entomologists please correct me!) Rob On 4/10/08, Walt <[email protected]> wrote: > > Yepper..."pulverized slate" (aka rottenstone) would be more accurate. Of > course it is also possible that decomposed limestone (which is where > rottenstone derives its name because it stinks) was used. Both are > technically diatomaceous earth, so the seller could have also said that > the > records were made of dirt...sort of...LOL... > > I have to admit that hearing a record described as [merely] slate makes me > envision Fred Flintstone firing up his Victrola-Rex, hefting a thick stone > disc on a turn table and then slamming the nose of a pterodactyl down to > play a song... > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On > Behalf Of Graham Newton > Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:24 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad > > "Michael Graziano" <[email protected]> said... > > >> Victrola Academy with needles and slate records. Excellent working > condition > >> Moving sale. $350.00 or OBO. 512-819-0661/512-677-6039. > > > Gotta love those slate records. > > Actually, I don't see anything amusing about it... the description is > accurate. > > Many of the old 78 rpm discs used ground slate as the principle component > of > > the pressing compound, held together by shellac! > > The reason was to grind the needle to the groove shape in the first few > revolutions... it looked like a chisel afterwards. This is why you were > NEVER > to remove a used needle and re-install it again to play other records, > since > > doing so would destroy the next disc! > > > > > ... Graham Newton > > -- > Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com > World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records > for > consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes. > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.10/1366 - Release Date: 4/8/2008 > 5:03 PM > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.11/1368 - Release Date: 4/9/2008 4:20 PM
