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RE: Instrument Gripes

To: <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Instrument Gripes
From: "John McLoughlin" <JohnMcLoughlin@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 12:41:10 -0000
Importance: Normal
In-reply-to: <003801bf3a9e$57b840c0$62cbfea9@agc>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's certainly true about the difference in pH (measure of acidity or
alkalinity) between one person's perspiration and another's.  A company I
used to work for had two "recipes" they used to create synthetic sweat for
testing against products (from Lego bricks to telephones) made from the
plastics raw material they made.  They were meant to represent the normal
extremes of the "sweat spectrum."  It's disappointing to read of so many
problems caused by lacquer formulations which apparently have either: -

1. not been properly tested before being specified for production; OR
2. not been applied according to the supplier's instructions; OR
3. have been supplied out-of-specification by the lacquer manufacturer to
the instrument maker (who, wittingly or otherwise, has still applied it to
instruments for sale).

I can think of no other causes for the problem.  The only other
consideration in the "customer satisfaction" rating is how long it is
reasonable for any lacquer in any sweaty palm to last before the need for
refurbishment.  Without this crucial input, the lacquer manufacturer and/or
instrument manufacturer have no starting point from which to formulate and
specify a lacquer.  We, the users, need to make it crystal clear to the
manufacturers (any and all) that a standard twelve months - if that's the
usual warranty period - is surely inadequate in anyone's language.  In
return, the manufacturers (who must surely belong to national and
international trade associations) should get their act together and publish
meaningful standards of expected minimum service performance of lacquer.

I am convinced that suitable lacquers do exist already.  Whether they would
be within cost limits expected by the manufacturers (indirectly determined
by market forces - that means us) I don't know.  Any comments manufacturers
or their trade bodies?  Notice I'm not singling out any in particular.

John McLoughlin

P.S.: I'm not a biochemist (actually a plastics technologist).  I certainly
don't even know the pH of my own sweat!

--

References:
- Re: Instrument Gripes
  - From: Judith Hayes

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