Re: [ATM] Making the pitch tool

[Mark Holm <mdholm@telerama.com>]

As a good laboratory chemist, I really can't recommend heating anything 
flammable over a flame.  I am dead certain you don't want to have even a 
small pitch fire in your kitchen.  If would make very sticky, sooty 
smoke that would be hell to clean up.

Scrounge an electric hot plate, or try the electric frying pan idea 
mentioned.  I think somebody mentioned once that one of those electric 
deep fry pots works well.  The potential problem is that they may get 
too hot.  Have to watch it carefully and be ready to switch the power on 
and off a few times.  Never turn your back on the pitch while it is 
heating.  Have a metal plate handy that will seal off the container.  
That is the quickest way to smother a fire in a container.  Having a 
fire extinguisher handy is good back up.

Don't plan on using the melting container for anything else, ever.  
Pitch is hard to clean off.  The Gugolz is especially nasty that way.  
Also, cover every horizontal surface you care about with newspaper.  OK, 
not the stove.  Pitch will clean off of the porcelain coating on a stove 
pretty easily, but other surfaces will be harder.  Make sure you haven't 
got any on the bottom of your shoes.  You really don't want to track any 
Gugolz onto your dining room carpet.  Not unless you enjoy sleeping in 
the dog house.

Gugolz pitch does not smell real good when heated.  You may find that 
other residents of your house will be much happier if you can do the job 
in a garage or outside.  Burgundy pitch smells a lot better, but some 
may still object.

Years ago, when I tried heating over a double boiler, I had trouble 
getting the pitch hot enough.  Even with direct heat, the melting 
process is slow and should not be hurried too much.

Mark Holm
mdholm@telerama.com

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