Please Help Prevent the Poaching of Pernambuco

[Bill Yacey]

9 hours ago, HoGo said:

In modern alectronics or kitchen appliances they just don't supply spare single parts at all, just "assemblies" that cost so much that it is cheaper to buy new appliance. I needed one simple rubber valve for my dishwasher and the only option was to buy whole drain pump with hoses. I just stopped at nearby recycling facility and they took me to a heap of those pumps  prepared for recycling so I could find one that matches mine and take just the drain valve. The reapir took me whole 5 minutes of time and zero money. Folks are dumping 2 years old machines just because it is cheaper (or almost) to buy new than repair.

Or like in laptops where new motherboard (which is most common failed part) costs nearly as much as new laptop.

Being directly involved in the electronic service industry for the last 35 years, I can say that manufacturers have made access to proper service information difficult or impossible, limited to no access to any parts that are proprietary, and service technicians in general are poorly trained and don't have the technical ability to perform component level troubleshooting and repairs on circuit boards.

The whole goal appears to render products unserviceable.

[David Burgess]

1 hour ago, Bill Yacey said:

and service technicians in general are poorly trained and don't have the technical ability to perform component level troubleshooting and repairs on circuit boards.

 

But how much would it cost to have someone with the technical ability to perform component level troubleshooting and repairs on circuit boards show up at my house, and diagnose and fix the circuit board on my refrigerator? A lot more than the cost of a new circuit board? Maybe even more than the cost of a new refrigerator?

With so many computers in modern products, and things like CAN Bus wiring, there's less and less that a "shade-tree mechanic" can fix. My 2017 car has about 40 computers (or processors or micro-controllers).

On cars, engine longevity and body resistance to corrosion tend to be much better than they used to be. But that doesn't necessarily make them more reliable or longer-lasting overall. Many of the newer problems are related to data communication glitches between modules.

[BassClef]

It should be clear at this point that old unusable pernambuco (and carbon fiber) bows need to be repurposed as fence posts for dollhouses.

[Bill Yacey]

10 hours ago, David Burgess said:

But how much would it cost to have someone with the technical ability to perform component level troubleshooting and repairs on circuit boards show up at my house, and diagnose and fix the circuit board on my refrigerator? A lot more than the cost of a new circuit board? Maybe even more than the cost of a new refrigerator?

With so many computers in modern products, and things like CAN Bus wiring, there's less and less that a "shade-tree mechanic" can fix. My 2017 car has about 40 computers (or processors or micro-controllers).

On cars, engine longevity and body resistance to corrosion tend to be much better than they used to be. But that doesn't necessarily make them more reliable or longer-lasting overall. Many of the newer problems are related to data communication glitches between modules.

I think in the case of vehicles, they are made far more complex than they need to be. On my own vehicle, I have found the majority of the problems are due to the use of crappy electrical connectors that appear designed to fail.

Years ago, Philips developed a modular assembly for their television sets, and other manufacturers followed suit. A service technician would identify which module the problem was with, and simply swap it out with a new or refurbished board. The damaged one would then be returned to the shop and repaired and put back into service on another set in the field. Nothing went to the landfill, and the home repair was performed within a half hour, keeping the customer happy.

In the case of a bow, if it can be rehaired indefinitely, it will provide service for decades to centuries, with only worn or damaged horsehair ending up in the landfill, or compost heap.

[Dwight Brown]

One possibility is the use of a wood called Giraffe Thorn Acacia also known as Camel Thorn (Vachellia erioloba).  It's conservation status is listed as "Least Concern".   Gilles Nehr is using it on some of his Tete-Beche bows and it makes a great bow. (I have one). It appears to be able to grow in quite harsh environments and can become invasive in other places ( This is a reoccurring theme in the history of importing non-native species). It is common enough that it is used for fire wood.  This is not a real answer or even a direct response to the OP but just an idea. Interestingly these bows are self rehairing.  The frog and tip are made of titanium which are attached to the stick with gold pins.  This design not only makes the greatest use of the wood it also avoids most of the weak spots of more traditional bow design making the bows more durable and less disposable.  They feel and play like any fine bow.

 

https://www.gillesnehr.com/tete-beche

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0vb4buoG34

 

DLB

 

[James M. Jones]

2 hours ago, Dwight Brown said:

One possibility is the use of a wood called Giraffe Thorn Acacia also known as Camel Thorn (Vachellia erioloba).  It's conservation status is listed as "Least Concern".   Gilles Nehr is using it on some of his Tete-Beche bows and it makes a great bow. (I have one). It appears to be able to grow in quite harsh environments and can become invasive in other places ( This is a reoccurring theme in the history of importing non-native species). It is common enough that it is used for fire wood.  This is not a real answer or even a direct response to the OP but just an idea. Interestingly these bows are self rehairing.  The frog and tip are made of titanium which are attached to the stick with gold pins.  This design not only makes the greatest use of the wood it also avoids most of the weak spots of more traditional bow design making the bows more durable and less disposable.  They feel and play like any fine bow.

 

https://www.gillesnehr.com/tete-beche

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0vb4buoG34

 

DLB

 

Thanks , never heard of this wood … Do you know anything about the luchi meter readings or specific gravity of this wood? As with a lot of things I find many times perfectly suitable alternatives are readily available if we choose. 
  Up here we have a wood , a known sort of weed tree , covered in thorns called black locust that is very hard dense spring like and entirely non threatened .

[Dwight Brown]

Hey Mike! 
 

i don’t know the Lucchi meter numbers but I could ask Gilles. My bow is really super.  Hope you and your family are well. Patty and I have moved to Buda, Tx on the edge of the Hill County. My son is just up the road. 
 

DLB

[go_oa]

Glasser does refurbish their bows.  When a glasser bow comes for a rehair, we just trade bows. Send the rehair to Glasser.  Glasser sends a refurbished bow for less than a new one.  The cost is less than a rehair.  This is the model for student bows.  Standard frogs and tips - production line refurbishing!

[Mr. Bean]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:37 AM, HoGo said:

There is also possibility of outsourcing refurbishing to less expensive regions, like sending dozen bows to let's say Romania, where cost would be perhaps quarter of typical US charge.

Here in Europe many countries supermarkets are bound to charge a deposit fee on beer-bottles, lemonade cans etc. A deposit fee charged by CodaBow, Arcus and any Chinese carbon-composite manufacturer giving access to a rehair? That may prevent wasting materials.

[fiddlecollector]

14 hours ago, James M. Jones said:

Thanks , never heard of this wood … Do you know anything about the luchi meter readings or specific gravity of this wood? As with a lot of things I find many times perfectly suitable alternatives are readily available if we choose. 
  Up here we have a wood , a known sort of weed tree , covered in thorns called black locust that is very hard dense spring like and entirely non threatened .

Hope Dwight doesnt mind me answering but camel thorn  can have lucchi reading very high up to 7000. But its generally not very attractive to look at.

[James M. Jones]

Just now, fiddlecollector said:

Hope Dwight doesnt mind me answering but camel thorn thorn can have lucchi reading very high up to 7000.

Thanks ! How does that compare to pernambuco? I’m a complete idiot when it comes to bows and their construction. 

[Dwight Brown]

41 minutes ago, fiddlecollector said:

Hope Dwight doesnt mind me answering but camel thorn  can have lucchi reading very high up to 7000. But its generally not very attractive to look at.

Not at all! I did DM Gilles to ask him.  He has worked out a way to darken the wood without nasty acid, etc. But that is his proprietary process.  Personally as long as it isn't hot pink I'm fine with it.  He is very enthusiastic about the wood and I find nothing about it problematic.  The thought is that it is very consistent and does not vary as much from stick to stick as pernambuco.  I would however never speak for him in any way, he has put a good 25 years into his work on the Tete-Beche and I actually own two of them, one is a very early model and one quite recent. I think there is a lot of room for innovation in instruments and bows.  The bow works particularly well with a Joseph Curtin Ultralight Viola but also with any of my instruments as well.

DLB

[Dwight Brown]

40 minutes ago, James M. Jones said:

Thanks ! How does that compare to pernambuco? I’m a complete idiot when it comes to bows and their construction. 

In general that is higher. Some bow makers do not use a meter at all including at least one with lots of gold medals that I know.

DLB

[uncle duke]

15 hours ago, James M. Jones said:

  Up here we have a wood , a known sort of weed tree , covered in thorns called black locust that is very hard dense spring like and entirely non threatened .

If I had to choose between locust and osage orange for working/splitting I would choose locust - slightly easier.  I do notice locust has those open pored grain lines similar to oak.

[James M. Jones]

5 hours ago, uncle duke said:

If I had to choose between locust and osage orange for working/splitting I would choose locust - slightly easier.  I do notice locust has those open pored grain lines similar to oak.

Good point, That open pore structure would ,/ could be Problematic in violin bow making, 

[Dwight Brown]

Just now, James M. Jones said:

Good point, That open pore structure would ,/ could be Problematic in violin bow making, 

I remember reading that Black Locust was favored for fence posts as it did not rot in the ground.

DLB

[James M. Jones]

3 minutes ago, Dwight Brown said:

I remember reading that Black Locust was favored for fence posts as it did not rot in the ground.

DLB

Yep , foundation’s of houses even .

[Jeff White]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:38 AM, David Burgess said:

I don't know why the F--- I would want or need a washing machine connected to the internet, but I guess that's important to some people.

Scrubbing your search history????????

[David Burgess]

16 minutes ago, Jeff White said:

Scrubbing your search history????????

Oh yeah, uhm, OK.

I was wondering why the adds on my Maestronet feed (those which my addblocker doesn't delete) include so many scantily clad women.

[Bill Yacey]

1 hour ago, David Burgess said:

Oh yeah, uhm, OK.

I was wondering why the adds on my Maestronet feed (those which my addblocker doesn't delete) include so many scantily clad women.

I always thought those were sponsor ads for Maestronet.

[Mr. Bean]

16 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Oh yeah, uhm, OK.

I was wondering why the adds on my Maestronet feed (those which my addblocker doesn't delete) include so many scantily clad women.

I got a one- legged lady in a swimsuit this morning.

[Dwight Brown]

On 2/19/2022 at 6:26 PM, James M. Jones said:

Thanks , never heard of this wood … Do you know anything about the luchi meter readings or specific gravity of this wood? As with a lot of things I find many times perfectly suitable alternatives are readily available if we choose. 
  Up here we have a wood , a known sort of weed tree , covered in thorns called black locust that is very hard dense spring like and entirely non threatened .

I just talked to Gilles via DM. He said the lowest Lucchi meter number he has seen was 5500 and generally it is much higher than that. It also seems to have more flexibility before it breaks.

DLB

[James M. Jones]

2 hours ago, Dwight Brown said:

I just talked to Gilles via DM. He said the lowest Lucchi meter number he has seen was 5500 and generally it is much higher than that. It also seems to have more flexibility before it breaks.

DLB

Hey thanks Dwight! 

[Bill Merkel]

On 2/18/2022 at 8:34 AM, David Burgess said:

to imply to someone who doesn't know about bow making, that pernambuco (by weight) is as valuable as cocaine:

62 grams of cocaine would be about $10,000 (I had to look it up).  So the price of the finished products is about the same?  Cost of raw material for a bow is probably a lot higher than raw material for cocaine (whatever its raw material is).  So cocaine maker wins in the value added department

[A432]

Re. how to prevent poaching, I keep waiting for someone to point out that, if enough more of it were planted (which is being done), after a while the increase would outweigh the loss.