Heating Help

Old-time plumbers nostalgia question,,,,

What is this stuff?,,,,, it is hard like glass,,,, but soft when heated.

I have heard what it "was" used for,,,, what`s your thoughts?  ;-)

No,,,, it`s not the "Blob" in a dormant state :-)

Is it?

Could it merely be rosin used a sealing wax?

2nd shot

It's parrafin

How about Bakelite?

A first synthetic resin whose cousins are ABS and PVC.

My high school chemistry

If I remember correctly, Bakelite is a phenol-formaldehyde thermosetting plastic.

PVC is a polymer of vinyl chloride, that is, IIRC thermoplastic.
ABS is a copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile, also thermospastic.

So if they are cousins of Bakelite, they are distant cousins.

Leat me get this straight

You can remember that Bakelite is some Phenothis,  Formathat, Thermo Plasti whatever and God only knows what? Your instructor must have been a close relative of the current Mr. Google.
Used in the 78's not 45's or 33's I thought it was a toy oven to make a cake with a light bulb.

Rosin

Used on our cloth strap-wrenches to gain a good grip with polished chrome, brass or gold-plated trim. Showing my age(G).

Also used

in treating wiping cloth, back in the day to wipe a lead joint. Keeps the lead from sticking to the cloth. The few times I attempted to wipe that is what I was taught.

Nope,,

although bill was very close,,,,,,,,,,

JD seems to know everything,, (sorry I forgot his ULTRA),, where`s his input?

I guess you were teasing ...

... but I do not quite understand. I certainly do not know everything. I know less about heating than any of the professionals here. Would you prefer I post less?

Moon rocks

Brought back by Apollo astronuats. I'll be interested to when the first McDopnalds opens it 's first franchise there. 

Ok, Ok,,,,,,,

I don`t really know,,, but I heard it was used as a cheater the old-timers could use on CI drainage piping that had the odd sand- hole.

The rosin explanation sounds more professional,, but this stuff is hard, and heating-it-up to apply could burn many a fingers,,,,, then again, so has wiping joints!  :-)

???

I'm picturing it as a hydronic sweetener for my Delta T...

Two lumps please :)

Rosin

If your lead pot was outdoors ( due to smoke and chance of lead popping) the rosin would be added to the molten lead or wiping solder to make the impurities float to the top.

Multi-use

Grandpa used it to clean molten lead, my uncle used it as a thread sealer and a dressing for his strap wrenches.  Other uncle says it worked best to fix a cracked no-hub fitting for an air test.

I use it as a conversation piece when other plumbers come to the shop.....makes me look like I might not be as wet behind the ears?

I would not know where to find any so I just use discarded chunks of roofers tar for my (fixable) cracked no-hub fittings and haven't used a strap wrench since I was a second year.

I like the sweetener idea best.