[TR] 3 questions

[Don Hiscock]

John, what another useful recollection!

So the process was indeed what it always looked like -- sort of a manual
version of the molded pulp pieces used in packaging (especially egg
cartons).

It's not at all obvious why it took them two years to find an
alternative to isinglass (glue made from fish swim bladders).  Seems even
in those days that would have been about a week's work given the material
choices available (casein/milk protein, soya protein, synthetic
latex/SBR/PVaC/acrylic, polyvinyl alcohol/PVOH, and probably a half dozen
more.  If they'd come to my lab -- even in the late 1970s, when I was
starting in polymer science and technology, this woulda been a doddle.

But then, for Prestfibre to be using that process at all indicates that
they weren't a leading-edge-of-change group.

Keep those stories coming.  And Happy New Year!

-- Don

On Sat, Dec 31, 2022 at 7:08 AM John Macartney <johnbmacartney at gmx.com>
wrote:

>
> I have very vivid memories at age 16 of going with my Dad to a UK company
> called Prestfibre and watching the tunnels and instrument panels for Herald
> and TR being made.
> The solution of mashed paper, cardboard was spread over a male former made
> of perforated zinc and then the ‘goop’ was covered by another inside shape
> former to which pressure and heat was applied. Thirty seconds later a sort
> of tunnel or panel was pulled off the inner former and placed in a pile
> alongside to cool. What stands out most in my memory was the stink of raw
> fish as fish glue formed a large part of the ‘goop’ mixture. Unfortunately
> the fish odour lingered around each assembly for many months and made the
> cars in which they were later fitted to stink of fish as well!
> It took a very long time - at least two years - for Prestfibre to find an
> alternative glue whi ch didn’t stink of fish and while the cars themselves
> no longer smelled of fish, the durability of those ‘goop’ fabricated items
> were by no means as long lasting. I guess that’s why y’all are considering
> alternatives?
>
> Jonmac
>
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