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How to identify celluloid?


Idiopathos

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Isn't it easier to just ignite them? ;) I believe the reason for the switch was that cellulose acetate is far less flammable/explosive than cellulose nitrate.

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The film industry uses cellulose acetate as if it is celluloid, and actually calls it celluloid, too. Although they are not exactly the same chemically, they both smell of camphor, and both have very similar properties. The only way to tell them apart, AFAIK, is by chemical analysis, but I may be corrected on this.

 

Historically, movies for theater projection were on cellulose nitrate film stock from 1889 until 1952 or so. Projector fires were common and quite hazardous.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_base

-- Joel -- "I collect expensive and time-consuming hobbies."

 

INK (noun): A villainous compound of tannogallate of iron, gum-arabic and water,

chiefly used to facilitate the infection of idiocy and promote intellectual crime.

(from The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce)

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Hi there,

 

I couldn't find any info for "cellucrid" either - but "Cellucride®" is the coined name for the material used by Stipula in the "22" pen. It isn't represented as celluloid; instead, Stipula has this to say: "The barrel of the "22" is made of Stipula's exclusive Cellocride®, produced in strict accordance with the traditional canons of fabrication set down by the masters of celluloid...."

 

While the proliferation of proprietary names like Cellucride, Acryloid and Auroloid complicates matters, I must admit to a fondness for such terms. They take me back, in imagination, to the dear old days of Radite, Permanite and Pyralin (all of which were, to the best of my knowledge, "real" celluloid).

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

This is a most informative discussion. My Visconti Opera Club is advertised as being made out of cellucrid -- how in the world is this different from celluloid?

 

Are you sure? I googled cellucrid and nothing came up. Not even a single match from a Visconti or dealer page.

 

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Just to express appreciation for all of you guys which are making this thread very interesting.

;)

 

Funny, but my Stipula I Castoni has a strong scent but it is supposed to be resin.. so to piggyback here, what is resin then supposed to be made of?

Thank you.

sonia alvarez

 

fpn_1379481230__chinkinreduced.jpg

 

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Just to express appreciation for all of you guys which are making this thread very interesting.

;)

 

Funny, but my Stipula I Castoni has a strong scent but it is supposed to be resin.. so to piggyback here, what is resin then supposed to be made of?

Thank you.

That strong scent is rather different from the scent of celluloid. The smell of a resin pens is that of a solvent, rather than camphor, and yes, it can be very strong too. Resin generally is one of many plastics which are petroleum based rather than cellulose based, while both cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate obviously are cellulose based :)

 

Warm regards, Wim.

the Mad Dutchman
laugh a little, love a little, live a lot; laugh a lot, love a lot, live forever

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"Resin" covers a good bit of ground. From The American Heritage Dictionary:

 

1. Any of numerous clear to translucent yellow or brown, solid or semisolid, viscous substances of plant origin, such as copal, rosin, and amber, used principally in lacquers, varnishes, inks, adhesives, synthetic plastics, and pharmaceuticals.

 

2. Any of numerous physically similar polymerized synthetics or chemically modified natural resins including thermoplastic materials such as polyvinyl, polystyrene, and polyethylene and thermosetting materials such as polyesters, epoxies, and silicones that are used with fillers, stabilizers, pigments, and other components to form plastics.

 

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Would a Montegrappa Symphony be considered cellulose or resin?

Thanks.

 

The Montegrappa website says this series are made from real celluloid. Montegrappa makes some of its series of pens out of "resin" which is just another word for nice quality plastic, and some out of real celluloid. The Symphony series is one of the real celluloid ones.

 

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As I understand it, bad things happen to celluloid pens if you immerse them in water. I've been wondering for a while, what about pens which contain some celluloid, but are not entirely constructed of the stuff? My Pelikan has celluloid strips sandwiched in acrylic. Is there any chance of water infiltration damaging this celluloid? I read a suggestion that I should put the pen nib-down in a glass of water to help draw out all the ink when flushing it, to reduce the number of times I have to work the plunger, and now I wonder whether that might be a bad idea.

 

I think the issue is that bad things happen to cellulose nitrate pens when immersed in hotwater, which can cause clouding (as well as possible heat shrinkage). Vintage celluloid pens like Parker Vacumatics and Sheaffer Vacuum-fillers hold ink directly in contact with a celluloid barrel and it causes no problems (other than staining with the right ink). I wash mine off all the time, though rarely soak more than a section. When repairing celluloid, it is generally better to use a dry heat than hot water.

 

John

 

So if you have a lot of ink,

You should get a Yink, I think.

 

- Dr Suess

 

Always looking for pens by Baird-North, Charles Ingersoll, and nibs marked "CHI"

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