Theodor Stevens said:
> On the subject of telling leather (or ivory, or bone) from rubber (or
hard
> plastic, or resin) another method besides the dissecting microscope is to
> heat a straight pin to red hot (with a match or lighter) and apply it to
an
> inconspicuous part of the object in question. If it smells like burning
> hair, it's organic. If it smells like burning rubber or plastic, or just
> melts, it's man-made. At least that's what the guy on the Antiques
> Roadshow claims. :-).
> By the way, the covering on the wheel of my 74 TR6 is without a doubt
> molder rubber. Tiny chunks have come off the backside.
Your certainty about the material causes me to wonder if *some* TR6
steering wheels had rubber rims---sort of like *some* TR6s had Delco
alternators. Maybe that's one solution to the mystery. I notice that
Piggot (in the TR4/5/6 book) is somewhat elusive about the rim material. I
may write him if I can find an e-mail address. Anyone got it?
--Phil Haldeman
haldeman@accessone.com
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