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Just when we have thought that we have seen it all..

Two candles, one is made in a Edison Blue Amberola record, aren’t these flammable?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3391877862

Blue Amberol cylinders are made of celluloid. According to Wikipedia, "Celluloids are a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, with added dyes and other agents. Generally considered the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1856 and as Xylonite in 1869, before being registered as Celluloid in 1870. Celluloid is easily molded and shaped, and it was first widely used as an ivory replacement.

The main use was in movie and photography film industries, which used only celluloid film stock prior to the adoption of acetate safety film in the 1950s. Celluloid is highly flammable, difficult and expensive to produce and no longer widely used; its most common uses today are in table tennis balls, musical instruments, and guitar picks."

So, yes, making a candle out of a celluloid-faced cylinder does seem a bit risky.

Wether it's flammable or not, it depends on the percentage of pure celluloid vs. other inert compounds that go into the formula, which I ignore. Personally, having seen how much flammable celluloid film used for silent movies was, I wouldn't test it out.

Making a candle out of a cylinder is a silly idea in any case, if you ask me.

First off, it's a shame to destroy a cylinder by making it into a candle! And yes, the BA celluloid skin is quite flammable. I've done some tests for an upcoming ARSC conference on pre-vinyl materials and have found that celluloid used in both cylinders and the "commonly" found beige plastic home goods are both quite flammable.

Using wax cylinders would be also be a bad idea. While they contain mostly stearic acid (the same wax used in smokeless, drip-less candles) they also contain metals such as aluminum and lead.

I could see someone buying it and it going into flames, the Buyer would sue and push for a ban of sale on all Blue Amberola records. The key here is that it is not being used for its intended purpose. I hear so many people say repurpose, repurpose.... it all depends on what one is repurposing.

Victrolacollector wrote:I could see someone buying it and it going into flames, the Buyer would sue and push for a ban of sale on all Blue Amberola records. The key here is that it is not being used for its intended purpose. I hear so many people say repurpose, repurpose.... it all depends on what one is repurposing.

Idiots are, beyond a doubt, the most dependably renewable resource known to man. If only they had a repurpose.

gramophone-georg wrote:

Victrolacollector wrote:I could see someone buying it and it going into flames, the Buyer would sue and push for a ban of sale on all Blue Amberola records. The key here is that it is not being used for its intended purpose. I hear so many people say repurpose, repurpose.... it all depends on what one is repurposing.

Idiots are, beyond a doubt, the most dependably renewable resource known to man. If only they had a repurpose.

Oh so absolutely true words ! --- about the idiots that is !

or as one of my buddies used to say -- " .... there's more of them than there are of us "

Wise words in my humble opinion !

Dulcetto

I recall burning celluloid table-tennis balls as a kid - they really burn!

And what do these people think they are doing destroying music in this way? I get the same reaction when I see vinyl records molded into fruit bowls and cut into handbags and decorative clocks.

I recall that detachable celluloid shirt collars were standard for men's dress shirts back in the day. We don't read of these collars going up in flames, despite the widespread prevalence of smoking back then. But perhaps that's a reason that they went out of fashion?

Henry wrote:I recall that detachable celluloid shirt collars were standard for men's dress shirts back in the day. We don't read of these collars going up in flames, despite the widespread prevalence of smoking back then. But perhaps that's a reason that they went out of fashion?

Oh yes. Yes they did.

Fire departments banned their men from wearing them, Harold Lloyd's first feature film in 1921 Grandmas Boy has one burnt up in a candle flame when it is left on the dresser, and the old saying that So-and-so when angry "went up like a celluloid collar" had to come from somewhere.

People now, in the interest of being artsy and recycle-y, have managed to take an inflammable, asbestos-filled artifact and make a cutesy throwaway candle out of it if their house doesn't burn down first. I only hope I can live as long among my fellow mindless Millenials & the last of the Boomers as long as the Greatest Generation lived on red meat, cigarettes, and whiskey.