Subject: Re: what is the effect of cooling brass to -300C

From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 26 Feb 95 23:13:26 MST

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Richard Engelbrecht-Wiggans) writes:
|>>[email-masked] wrote:
|>>:
|>>: Our company supplies this service ...
|> 
|>Huh?  I thought that -273C was absolute zero.  How can
|>anything be cooled another 27 degrees below that?
|> 
|>Richard

In defense of Richard's company, he was replying to a thread that was
originally started by somebody asking about the effects of cooling brass.
The original post had the -300C figure in the subject line, and referred
to an item in a "brass" mailing list which also quoted -300C.  While
you are perfectly correct in pointing out this is an impossible temperature,
it at least isn't Richard's fault.

I just wonder if the originator inappropriately rounded the temp, or
got C and F screwed up.

Jim

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From: [email-masked] (Norman Billingham)
Date: 28 Feb 1995 22:01:19 GMT

Barry L. Lankford ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]> 
DELETED

 Let's see, -300 F is approx. equal to -184 C, which is approx. 88 C degrees 
: above absolute zero.  I wish I could find a reference book with the 
: temperature of liquid nitrogen.  

Liquid nitrogen is at 77K or -196C

Norman Billingham
University of Sussex
UK

Deleted

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From: [email-masked] (James Foster x2912)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 19:08:22 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Barry L. Lankford) writes:

|> 
|> I am just writing what I read, so don't send flames to me!  I would like to 
|> know more about this.  I used to be a trumpet player and still know several 
|> who are still playing.  One of them claims that he can tell the difference 
|> between trumpets that have been gold or silver plated and/or laquered. 
|> Personally I'm sceptical.
|> 

This one I'll buy.  The laquer has a damping effect on the brass. It
gives a more mellow sound. What _I'm_ skeptical about are those who
claim that adding extra heavy bottom valve caps gives a solider tone.
Yeah, and chrome plated valve covers on your small block chevy will
give you 5 more horsepower each! B^).

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From: [email-masked] (Barry L. Lankford)
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 09:26:04 GMT

>Jim

I missed the start of this thread, but when I saw one of the followups, I 
remembered that I had made a photocopy of an article about this very subject 
from the N.Y. Times (Sunday newpaper) magazine section for May 29, 1994.  I 
couldn't find the article at first, but tonight I remembered where it was. 
The interesting thing is that the article also mentions the -300 degree 
figure, but doesn't specify C or F.  The picture in the original article 
shows several brass instruments, hazily seen through a light bluish liquid, 
in what appears to be some kind of rectangular insulated chest (not a dewar). 
Let's see, -300 F is approx. equal to -184 C, which is approx. 88 C degrees 
above absolute zero.  I wish I could find a reference book with the 
temperature of liquid nitrogen.  The article isn't very long so I'll try 
to type it in verbatim:

(title) Deep Freeze, Cool Sound
(Text from N.Y. Times Magazine, May 29, 1994, p. 10)

The people from Thermal Curv don't look musically inclined when they pull 
into town with an ice-encrusted tank of liquid nitrogen and what looks like 
a basement meat locker on the back of their truck.  But among musicians, 
word has been spreading that a night spent in the minus 300 degrees of the 
Ohio company's box will do wonders for any metal instrument.  For reasons 
no one entirely understands, extreme cold is good for metal, apparently 
removing stresses created during its manufacture.  Swiss watchmakers have 
long stored parts high in the mountains, and nitrogen-freezing technology 
has been developed over the last 20 years for drill bits, saw blades and 
other tools.  What draws the musicians, though, is the effect on the sound. 
Which is? "The sound has more belly," says Victor Rislow, a trumpeter who 
has sent all eight of his instruments into the icy blast.

(end quote)

I am just writing what I read, so don't send flames to me!  I would like to 
know more about this.  I used to be a trumpet player and still know several 
who are still playing.  One of them claims that he can tell the difference 
between trumpets that have been gold or silver plated and/or laquered. 
Personally I'm sceptical.

Barry L. Lankford        email: [email-masked]       Amateur Radio: N4MSJ
Madison, Alabama, USA     ICBM: 34deg 41min 52.2sec N, 86deg 45min 34.2sec W