We at THE 78 PROJECT have found that the chip which remains after we cut the disks is spectacularly flammable when lit, as the video below demonstrates. We certainly don't recommend doing this as a matter of course, but it is fairly impressive.

http://vimeo.com/29746835





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Breakthrough musicians on a journey to connect with the haunting recordings of the past...

On Feb 29, 2012, at 10:34 AM, George Brock-Nannestad wrote:

> From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad
>
>
>
> Hello Dennis [Rooney],
>
> you wrote
>
>> Although the first instantaneous blanks were cellulose nitrate, the
>> formula was later changed to cellulose acetate, hence the use of "acetate" as a
>> cognomen for discs which are properly called "lacquer(s)". The change was
>> prompted by some unfortunate accidents involving mastering engineers who
>> smoked while cutting lacquers. The vast majority of surviving lacquer
>> discs are cellulose acetate. No worries (at least not about combustibility).
>>
>
> ----- now, I have been chasing information like that for quite some time.
> Could you quote some sources, please? Newspaper reports are fine, but
> technical litereture would be better. The only reference to non-inflammable
> acetate lacquer discs I have been able to find concerns home recording discs
> from ca. 1938. All other sources, in particular for professional use, have
> referred to nitrate as the major constituent.
>
> The reason there is no need to worry about your lacquer discs in the archive
> is -- as Steve Greene surmised -- that the volume of nitrate to cooling
> carrier ratio is so small. Just like Blue Amberols. The reason mastering
> engineers sometimes had fires was 1) they were not using vacuum for removing
> the swarf and were careless, 2) if they used vacuum, as was the professional
> way, they deliberately set fire to the content in the can for swarf - wax was
> just as inflammable, and if you light steel wool it will continue to smolder
> until it is all iron oxide - it is the fine division that gives the problems.
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> George
>
> -----------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 9:20 AM, Steve Greene <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>> First time poster here. How big a concern is the storage of
>> transcription
>>> recordings, a majority of which are made of coated cellulose nitrate
>>> lacquer? Coming from a moving image background, the "n" word (NITRATE)
>> is
>>> scary, though presumably the volume of nitrate in even a large
>> collection
>>> of coated discs is tiny compared to even a small collection of nitrate
>>> film. Were there components in the "recipe" for nitrate lacquer that
>>> tended to make them less combustible?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for your advice, perspectives.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Steve Greene
>>> Archivist
>>> Office of Presidential Libraries
>>> National Archives and Records Administration
>>> (301) 837-1772
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Dennis D. Rooney
>> 303 W. 66th Street, 9HE
>> New York, NY 10023
>> 212.874.9626
>