You wouldn’t think that it’d take over two years to paint and wallpaper three and a half rooms, would you?
Since it probably won’t be until the end of this year before this process is apparently done, I’m going to have to soldier on without access to some of my research materials. They’re not in any apparent danger: I literally cannot reach them without moving half the contents of the room. And I can’t do that, lest I anger the gods of painting and wallpapering.
I’ll focus my attention today on one of the documents I do have access to: it’s PP-101B, Tenite Acetate - Chemical Resistance. If you want a copy for yourself, it’s available as a PDF from Eastman, the company that manufactures Tenite. I’ll give you a moment to find it via your search engine of choice, if you’d like to read along.
(Trust me, it’s worth it!)
Most of us who’ve had any extended experience with Breyers in general know that while they’re durable, they’re not indestructible. They can yellow, warp, stain, shrink, crack, ooze and all sorts of unpleasant and unattractive things. Some of it is beyond our control - the result of a bad batch of plastic, too much regrind in the mix, machine (or human) error. And other times, it’s a previous owner’s bad decisions that lead to the damage - chain smokers, we’re looking at you!
Over the years many of us have developed techniques to fix some of the more fixable damage. If I happened to have an otherwise unsalvageable horse, I wouldn’t hesitate to subject it to whatever I happened to find around the house. (Within reason, and usually in the garage.)
Silly us. All we really had to do was ask the company that made it.
This document lists several hundred chemicals, commercial and household products, and what the "Observed Condition of the Plastic" was after being exposed or immersed in it for a given period of time.
Most of the stuff that was tested was of an industrial nature - hydrocarbons, acids, esters and alcohols that most of us wouldn’t be keeping anywhere near the house or garage in the first place. The results for some of those tests are quite predictable, too: it dissolves in a solution of 10% Nitric Acid within a week. Duh!
Some of the results were a surprise: apparently mothballs (naphthalene) are not good things to keep around your horses. The results "Showed considerable plasticizer exhudation" after only 24 hours. Yikes - that sounds like oozing to me! Though I have to admit that my curiosity is now piqued; I’m tempted to toss a body in a sealed box with some dollar store mothballs to see what would happen.
The most amusement comes from the "Commercial and Natural Products" section. Everything from Jet Fuel to Coffee Grounds was tested. Toothpaste, Horseradish, Chocolate Syrup, Lard and Blood(!), too.
The reason for this eclectic mix of test subjects is that Tenite Acetate is also used in food and chemical handling and storage - the machinery that processes it, and the containers that it’s stored in. You’ll be happy to know that if you accidentally lose a model in a vat of mayonnaise, or drop it in a bowl of bacon drippings, it’ll be fine. (Unless you happen to have dogs in the house.)
Not so fine: Lipstick, Kool-Aid, Lysol, Lighter Fluid, Budweiser Lager, and Vicks Decongestant. (Sound like an interesting party to me!) Catsup, Mustard and most Gasolines also leave stains.
I could go on - the document is 13 pages long, and full of win. Who would have thought technical documentation could be so entertaining?
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5 comments:
Oh, the title alone gave me a much needed laugh! Not to mention such an interesting document. Thank you, AMG!
That is absolutely hilarious! Now every time I glance over at my collection, I cannot repress the giggles. Wonderful post!
what scares me is.. our kids drink koolaid.. whats in it that can dissolve or destroy plastic?! thats scary.I have been doing some research on what has caused my fibromyligia and I found out.. fluoride and its really scary when you find out what they put it in! did you know a tube or two of toothpaste would kill you if you ate it? and if they sill the fluoride before they put it in out water they have to call the epa and its a bog toxic deal.. but its ok to put it in our drinking water( which is also used in our food and soft drink!) think about it.. its a nerve toxin more poisonious than arsenic... and as bad as sarin gas!.. sorry about the change in subject kind of.. Im just really pissed to find out I have been poised by our government... now i have to go thru celation and a bunch of other therapies.. you know your body is 10% enzymes. well it is toxic to them and kills them.. causing your ibs, acid reflux and so many other problems.. if you look into it tis really alarming.. its just the fact that koolaid is damaging to tenite that also scare me...
Rebecca Turner
Soltice Art Studio
According to the documentation, with Kool-Aid, it is noted that "Surface [was] attacked slightly." I am assuming would translate into paint damage, and possibly staining.
Another experiment worth trying, but the rest of the family would probably be miffed at the waste of a perfectly good pitcher of Kool-Aid.
Becky, please be careful when researching either fluoride or fibromyalgia - there's a lot of misinformation and fear-mongering on both subjects, especially online. (Saying this as someone whose family history contains a lot of painful and expensive dental issues - I've done a little research on those topics myself.)
Hey Andrea,
Thanks, and I am being very careful... doing the documentation and all that too... and yea I have found lots of crap too... but dont worry.. am doing my homework on it all too.
Rebecca Turner
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