"Then there's Urushi - made from the Sumac plant"...
interesting... how is the lacquer made from the sumac? I eat a form of sumac
for breakfast in the morning, a brownish-red powder packaged up by the
Arabs, frequently eaten by Arabs and Persians (I picked up the habit during
my stay in Africa)... I note that it is similar in color to some of the
varnished interiors of flutes I've seen... and wonder if any of you guys
could use this in your varnish making... anyway it has a bunch of labeling
in Arabic and the English word SUMAC displayed prominently (pronounced
harsher and from the throat in Arabic: SUU-MAAAAK)... the stuff I get comes
from the Canary Trading Company in Anaheim California...
Brett Breitwieser (brett@bigskyranch.us)
Big Sky Ranch of Arizuma: http://bigskyranch.us <http://bigskyranch.us>
Pahana's Pithouse: http://pahana.us <http://pahana.us>
Solar Station: http://solarstation.us
"Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
and the deer and the antelope play.
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
and the skies are not cloudy all day..."
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce Jones [mailto:bjones@weber.ucsd.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 8:25 AM
> To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: Lacquer skinny?
>
>
>
> Folks,
>
> It appears to me that you are getting into a discussion of "lacquer"
> because it is the traditional coating for the inside of shakuhachi,
> like bamboo is the traditional material for shaks.
>
> Lacquer is a slipery term because there's (or was) "Imron", which
> was DuPont's "lacquer" for painting cars. Completely a synthetic.
> Then there's Urushi - made from the Sumac plant, and there's the
> Urushi substitiute "cashew" made from that plant - neither of which
> is synthethic.
>
> And there is the lacquer used to finish wood - Park's Clear Lacquer,
> Deft Clear Wood Finish" etc., also synthetics.
>
> I could probably go on a bit if I cared to look around. As to how
> many of these are still available in various parts of the world
> might make an interesting discussion, but would not be useful for
> someone whose task is to finish the inside of a bamboo tube in such
> a way as to protect it from moisture laden air.
>
> There is nothing about lacquer, in any of its myriad forms, that
> makes it the sole agent for said protection. While perhaps not as
> asthetically pleasing inside a shak, the polyurethene finish I put
> on my floors would do the same job, just as well as any lacquer.
>
> Given the difficulty of obtaining usable "lacquer", what other
> finishes are available that would do the job? I suggested
> automobile enamel a while back. Certainly is easily available,
> waterproof, and wear resistant. What other finishes could be used?
>
> Any woodworkers (as in furniture makers) out there?
>
> bj
>
> -
>
>
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