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srd (shimpo ring disorder)

updated wed 22 apr 98

 

John Baymore on tue 21 apr 98

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=3Cclip=3E
John - thank you for your insightful analysis of Shimpo Ring Disorder (SRD)
- everything you say RINGS true.
=3Csnip=3E

George,

SRD............ ah=21 It now has an acronym. It's official. =3Cg=3E Is =
there a
book for officially diagnosed and recognized ceramics disorders like there
is for psychological ones?

What is interesting is that the quality of the rubber-ish material
(whatever that specific composition really IS) on different rings produced
by Shimpo seemed to vary over the manufacture time. Some tended to harden
more than others. I've been around them them on and off for 25 years or so
and seen some wheels rings last practically forever........ just keep
tensioning the cone a weeny bit now and then.... and some deteriorate in a
relatively short time ..... 10 years or so. And the hardening doesn't seem
to have anything to do with use, as the wearing away DOES.

In fact, I am thinking it may just be that dis-use seems to cause the
rubber to harden more than hard use. Maybe the heat generated by the
friction losses of normal use somehow causes the rubber to retain its
resiliency. Haven't really got a clue about that...... just an inkling
form some limited observed data. There may be some properties of rubber
that require it being moved around to keep its qualities intact of which I
am not aware (I know zip about rubber). Your =22new but not working when
installed and tension adjusted=22 rings may add into that data pool.

Anyone else seemed to observe this situation?

Probably due to quality control issues. Or possibly Shimpo didn't even
realize that the =22rubber=22 they were getting was varying from their
supplier? Who knows. Whatever.

BTW.... terrible pun=21

Best,

....................john

John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA

603-654-2752
JBaymore=40Compuserve.com