Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica recovering
From: "Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 09:29:59 -0800

Larry-
Ditto for the tip!
Incidentally, I am sure that Marc is familiar with Vulcanite in another
venue! It was, and I imagine still is, used for the bits or stems of smoking
pipes! The material seemed to resist the nasty brew of condensates from
tobacco smoke, and was stury enough to make a good pipe stem, but was not
too hard on the teeth! It had a tendency to get a greenish oxidation, but I
remember having a polishing cloth from Savenelli that restored the pipe stem
wonderfully! Too bad the cloth wouldn't work on the textured camera body!!
If we have a Firestone or Goodyear employee on list, they may be able to
varify, but as I recall, the gutta percha or rubber gum was mixed with
sulfur and treated with heat to make the vulcanite. It was an early attempt
at making plastics (cellulose nitrate or celluloid being another- once used
as a film base with some interestiung results!)
I seem to recall that Celluloid, Vulcanite, and Bakelite were all early
plastics.
I have seen some fellow advertize Leica coverings, die cut and with adhesive
on eBay- so someone out there is making them... now if we can just find out
who he is, and where he's hiding.... we could make him an offer he couldn't
refuse!
Dan (One word....PLASTICS!) Post