PSN-L Email List Message
Subject: Re: Smokeing paper
From: "Office of Emperor Norton, Bummer and Lazarus" SFQUAKE06@...........
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 22:14:47 -0700
Hello Chris:
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
I had heard somewhere (Scientific American?) that you bubbled natural =
gas through benzene and used a flame that was starved for oxygen to get =
a good
quality of soot. Seems to be a little complicated to try and do that. =
I like to keep it simple. Also heard that you can use kerosene.
Paraffin? Is that the same thing as methanol? Are you English? The =
paraffin that I know of is the stuff that you use in making candles and =
canning fruit--- it's a solid.
=20
Thanks for the info.
=20
Dave (California)
=20
In a message dated 10/03/02, SFQUAKE06@........... writes:=20
Can anyone please describe to me the art of smoking paper? No, I do =
not mean that kind! I mean the kind that was used with the old =
mechanical seismic systems.
Hi Dave,=20
You clamp the paper tightly onto the drum so that it is well in =
contact all over. Then you make up a wick for a paraffin burner, usually =
in a bit of copper / brass tube soldered through the lid of an 8 oz tin. =
Put paraffin in the bottom of the tin and dip in the wick. Light the =
wick when it gets wet. Adjust the length of the wick with pliers to give =
a good smoky flame and rotate the paper on the drum in the smoke till it =
is black all over. You can 'write' on the trace with a pointed scriber =
or similar.=20
To permanantly fix the eventual trace, carefully remove the =
paper from the drum and spray THE BACK with hair lacquer so that it is =
saturated. If you spray the front, you won't have a trace left. You may =
want to give the front a spray coat after the paper has dried =
thoroughly. Remember that the spray lacquer may be highly inflammable - =
keep well away from any flame. Don't forget to put your wife's hair =
lacquer back exactly where you found it, when you have finished with it. =
(How do I know? We still 'smoke' barograph traces this way.)=20
Regards,=20
Chris Chapman=20
Hello Chris:
Thanks for taking the time to answer my=20
question.
I had heard somewhere (Scientific American?) that =
you=20
bubbled natural gas through benzene and used a flame that was starved =
for=20
oxygen to get a good
quality of soot. Seems to be a little =
complicated to=20
try and do that. I like to keep it simple. Also heard that =
you can=20
use kerosene.
Paraffin? Is that the same thing as =
methanol? =20
Are you English? The paraffin that I know of is the stuff that =
you use=20
in making candles and canning fruit--- it's a solid.
Thanks for the info.
Dave =
(California)
In a =
message dated=20
10/03/02, SFQUAKE06@...........=20
writes:
Can anyone please describe to me the art of smoking =
paper? No, I=20
do not mean that kind! I mean the kind that was used with the =
old=20
mechanical seismic systems.
Hi Dave,=20
You clamp the paper =
tightly onto=20
the drum so that it is well in contact all over. Then you make up a =
wick for a=20
paraffin burner, usually in a bit of copper / brass tube soldered =
through the=20
lid of an 8 oz tin. Put paraffin in the bottom of the tin and dip in =
the wick.=20
Light the wick when it gets wet. Adjust the length of the wick with =
pliers to=20
give a good smoky flame and rotate the paper on the drum in the smoke =
till it=20
is black all over. You can 'write' on the trace with a pointed scriber =
or=20
similar.
To permanantly fix =
the=20
eventual trace, carefully remove the paper from the drum and spray THE =
BACK=20
with hair lacquer so that it is saturated. If you spray the front, you =
won't=20
have a trace left. You may want to give the front a spray coat after =
the paper=20
has dried thoroughly. Remember that the spray lacquer may be highly=20
inflammable - keep well away from any flame. Don't forget to put your =
wife's=20
hair lacquer back exactly where you found it, when you have finished =
with it.=20
(How do I know? We still 'smoke' barograph traces this way.)=20
Regards,=20
Chris Chapman=20
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