Egads!!! The Volatile World Of NITRO!!!

Yes, it's true - Nitro is all around us! In our homes, on our bodies, and in our hands... Truly a thousand and one uses. It's Nitro Cellulose! Let me explain.... and Enjoy!
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[@NeonThoughtBox]

"Mother of toilet seat" is the best pick finish. XD

[@davewilliams9712]

I think you've just coined a viral phrase 😂😂🤤🤣🤣

[@UncleKennysPlace]

@@davewilliams9712 Nope, it's an old phrase, and I checked that box when I had one of my banjos made. It has a MOTS fretboard!

[@rickc2102]

Fran: "Your pick's not gonna explode in a shredding solo." The Internet: "Damn."

[@suzakule]

unless you are a member of Spinal Tapp!

[@AlanCanon2222]

@@suzakule Or you're Fran: I bet she has a guitar solo in mind that would take a nitrocellulose pick to the very point of ignition temperature. She's the best in so many fields.

[@rb032682]

@@AlanCanon2222 - lol

[@suzakule]

I was making a reference to the movie " this is Spinal Tapp" in which the drummer of the band was always cursed to die on stage, usually exploding in a drum solo from spontaneous combustion!

[@therugburnz]

I loved putting nitro picks in ashtrays at clubs that decided not to pay. Just put a cigarette on top of the picks on the way out the door with your 'no' money. It doesn't give off a flowery order at all; it is more like tear gas. That was forty years ago.

[@jeffreyoldham55]

That Gretsch is absolutely drop dead *gorgeous*

[@mikeg4972]

The nitrocellulose used for coatings, etc. is cellulose Tetranitate, less flammable. For use in explosives, cellulose Hexanitrate is used.

[@chromatogiraffery3104]

I imagine putting nitrocellulose film in front of a multi-kW carbon arc projector lamp would also be a good way of setting it off. I wonder if the tin (zinc) cans of old film canisters could form metal nitrates that would react catalytically with the film. That may explain why film reels are/were particularly succeptible to decay.

[@AlanCanon2222]

A few days after watching this, my thumb pick went missing. I have a new bunny rabbits who eats everything she can get in her mouth, and I was irrationally hoping she didn't eat it, and if she did eat it, hoping she wouldn't explode. I did find the pick, ultimately. Thanks, Fran!

[@juststeve5542]

/me looks at my 38 year old guitar suspiciously... That Gretsch is a beauty Fran.

[@AlanCanon2222]

Hell I am also an aging guitar player.... if we all go out because our old guitars explode, I mean, I would be sad, but what a rock and roll death!!! Much better than internal combustion deaths from drumming for Spinal Tap!!!! :)

[@chrisreich40]

ALL Gretsch guitars are beauties.

[@mikeg4972]

16:09 The material used is not polyurethane, but material called Cellulose Acetate Butyrate. Cellulose based materials often break down over the years and give off a smell such as vinegar.

[@johnjohn-ed9qt]

To quote my Ochem-1 prof: "Butyl: A nasty sounding name for a nasty smelling alkyl. Think Butyric acid. The smell of vomit. When it breaks down, you get, among other products, the vomit smell (butyric acid) and the vinegar smell (acetic acid), as well as the crusty residue. This is accelerated by UV light (

[@mikeg4972]

@@johnjohn-ed9qt Well said!

[@larsulrich2761]

During the turn of the century, nitro cellulose was used to make artificial silk / chiffon in women's dresses as well as collars for men's shirts. There are horror stories back then of women at parties or out about town who's dresses burst into flames.

[@odindimartino597]

I repaired a Polish radio from the 70's and the diffusion film behind the dial was made from nitrocellulose. I didn't knew that and I used my oven that I just turned off to have a low temperature to make it flat again because I was thinking it was PVC. The plate burned in my hand so I threw it in the air and it burned completely before touching the floor.

[@rb032682]

I used to love to burn my old nitro tortoise Fender picks after they cracked. Very thorough combustion. In the early 1970s, I played on some demos, 2-inch, 16-track, Ampex machine. I got to watch a copy of the demos get cut into a 12-inch acetate blank on a Scully lathe. Fascinating stuff.

[@GadgetUK164]

Very interesting! I first became aware of nitro watching Cinema Paridiso (a good film worth a watch).

[@InssiAjaton]

Well, nitro and nitro! Nitroglycerine was the explosive used for breaking stones and is still the active component in Dynamite. My father's last words were "I think I need to take a Nitro". That has been a treatment for heart ailment (blocked arteries). And of course, the smokeless powder -- nitrocellulose. In general, just about all modern explosives are various nitrogen compounds, like tri-nitro-toluene.

[@garygoldstein327]

I wish to thank everyone on patrion for making Fran's Fran Lab possible. This episode of Franlab is very fascinating. I never knew how old things were made and learning about the dangers of Nitro *Cellulose finishes and how to store things treated with this finish. Holy Mother of toilet seat and lady of bles---'sed acceleraration!

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

Cellulose

[@garygoldstein327]

@@theannoyedmrfloyd3998 Dear "The Annoyed Mr. Floyed," while printing out my comment I actually was struggling to remember how to spell that word *Cell-u-l-o-s-e. correctly.... I really appreciate you for being my spell checker. Will *re-edit. ( Thank you.)

[@trashyraccoon2615]

I just wanna know what egads are. She never tells you.

[@jondhuse1549]

This was kinda like a PSA - thanks Fran! And thanks for the special treat of a short performance on the Gretsch!

[@valjean246019430]

I have no musical talents, but I can appreciate the art on an instrument. With that said - That is the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen!!!

[@WooShell]

I'm so glad we've got rid of nitrocellulose in billard balls.. having them explode on the table was quite an annoyance.

[@expfcwintergreenv2.02]

Rather

[@rickc2102]

Back to ivory then, gentlemen!

[@andhewonders]

I was a hot player, but not that hot.

[@Cheepchipsable]

How so? When it looks like you are losing, just give the ball an extra hard whack and unfortunately, the game is over and your comeback can't be completed.

[@Chainsaw-ASMR]

Fascinating. I just went down the internet of exploding billiard balls. Thanks!

[@janovlk]

My father was born in 1926. He experienced burning projection booth at least two times. He and his friends asked projectionists for pieces of film and made rockets from it. Once my grandfather gave me an undeveloped reel of 35mm film. I checked a piece of it. It was unimpressive when it was burning in a small part of the film. But when it came to a larger roll it burned quickly with a tall flame. Iwas so delighted. I made a cocoon from the film and this way I could make some 6 meter tall flame.

[@ericdelmar2618]

Great topic for me and maybe a PSA for viewers: I inherited the family's old cellulose nitrate negatives and movie reels. I vaguely knew the dangers of non-"safety film" but a bit of research made clear that I had to get all that history out of the house. One thing that makes pre-1950 film especially dangerous is its surface area: Consider the area a several hundred feet of movie film, or a stack of old 2 1/4" square camera negatives. Hell, I took a postage stamp-sized piece of old film and lit it, and that tiny scrap immediately became a hot and intense, toxic flame. Yes, the smoke is contains very bad nitrogen dioxide fumes. So, after getting educated, I scanned what I could and passed it on to the county's hazardous waste disposal. Here's the PSA part. Do you have the family's film legacy in your attic or basement? Deal with it. You'll sleep better. Thanks, Fran. You're one of KZbin's treasures.

[@TucsonAnalogWorkshop]

There's no need to freak out if you have old negatives! I think your collection must be a special case, or more likely, you got your info wrong. Unless your family were repurposing 35mm motion picture film from Hollywood, all your negatives *should* have been cellulose acetate, and not flammable. At least as I understand it, Kodak was aware of the flammability issue from the beginning, and did not sell nitrate film anywhere it would have made into a photographer's home. Amateur formats, such as 8mm and 16mm, were *never* manufactured with nitrate and I'd be surprised if any but the very earliest roll film formats (pre-1900) were either. 1950 is just the date of the switch to safety film in professional 35mm motion picture film only. I can only vouch for the major film manufacturers of the 20th century (Kodak, Agfa, Ansco, Dupont, Ilford, etc) using safety film. It's possible there were less scrupulous manufacturers who did use nitrate, but I've never heard of it in 30 years in the industry.

[@ericdelmar2618]

@@TucsonAnalogWorkshop Thanks for your comment. Yes, it may be that I conflated cinema stock with still photo stock, but I had a bunch of films dating back to 1900 or so, and those picked up a flame like nothing I've ever seen before. No matter, the fear of flame got me to do about 2000 scans, digitizing the family archive, which no one else in the family was ever likely to take on that task. Thanks again.

[@tomdoyle3727]

Very informative info , I worked with nitro finishes during my career as a builder and restorer of guitars. Les Paul was my mentor!

[@brently1973]

Before safety film...being a projectionist was a very dangerous occupation. With carbon arc fumes from lamphouses and acetate film. It would somtimes jam in the projector and catch fire in front of aperture plate (the beam of light would set the film on fire). Many cinemas burned down this way before the advent of safety film. With safety film it just just melts. Its polyester and all motion picture film goes through the projector upside down as the lens flps the image. Intersting to note even today with digital projectors in a modern cinemas use Xennon electric arc bulbs in lamphouses that depending on the throw and size of the screen could be 2kW to 8kW and could easily light a cigarette held in the beam of light leaving the lamphouse.

[@nadieselgirl]

Ok, I finally have an excuse to keep my guitar out. I had no idea! Thank you so much!

[@jennyd255]

Having worked in a film and TV archive I was very aware of the almost paranoid levels of fire safety that we had to use when handling or storing Nitro film, so you can imagine how surprised I was to hear about all these other places where it is also used. Thank you for a really interesting and informative video.

[@colinwatt9387]

"Mother of toilet seat" that elicited a genuine LOL.

[@chaos.corner]

First time I've heard the term. My day has been made.

[@pirobot668beta]

We found some old billiard balls in a tin can, the can was labeled "explosives" Clever lads we, we ignored a warning and ignited one such ball in the cliched sand-lot. The thing burned so fiercely that it propelled itself! Roaring, whooshing noises...we ran! All over in a few seconds. I'd hate to see what they would have done burned together with any kind of containment!

[@derkeksinator17]

I wanted to melt a hole into a ping pong ball when I was younger, oh boy was I surprised when it literally took off.

[@bills48321]

Good tip about storing guitars out of the cases.

[@michael_mouse]

... I've always wondered what the strange hard plastic material was with the intriguing modern looking pattern on vintage pen knives scales was!.. thanks for a most interesting and excellent video Fran!

[@jimmooter]

I had no idea that records were made of that. I learn something new every time I watch you.

[@dranthonyv5475]

Fran, thank you for another excellent video. Note for DYIers: nitrocellulose will seriously damage electronics, especially if applied directly to components or circuit boards to moisture proof or water proof them. I’ve seen dramatic KZbin videos where clear-nail polished circuits worked after being soaked in a fish tank. However, over time, the nail polish chemically degenerates, causing corrosion within components, boards, and connections. Proper conformal coating for hobby electronics is not expensive. A small bottle goes a long way and reputable sources provide safety and technical data. Back in the 50s, I took apart my mom’s kitchen 5-tube radio - it had some wax dipped components and Vaseline on connections. Maybe you can do a show on - “the evolution of electrical coatings”. It could be important as we get EVs. Moist air and water are good for humans but poison to our electronics.

[@3v068]

From a scientist friend of mine. Cool place, away from ANY HEAT or electricity, and keep it relatively away from important items. And yes, ventilation is a must.

[@larrypriest5789]

IEEE and now a renowned chemist ~ keep up the great work!! Always look forward to the casts!!

[@nat7278]

Things I didn’t know, I didn’t know! Fantastic. What a great broad tour down nitro history. The only thing I feel missing is seeing the cards set ablaze. Pardon me while I go find some playing cards :-) great video Fran

[@RichardRitenour0522]

Sweet sweet knowledge, appreciate the input to the general public on this little known data Fran! Keep rockin' the lab!

[@jeffflowers5489]

You just made me remember that I have a (sealed) plastic container full of old 78's :-O I better do something about that. Thanks Fran!

[@BlackWolf42-]

As nitrocellulose ages it tends to release nitric acid or various oxides of nitrogen unless it's stabilized with something like urea or similar.

[@jimlagraff4989]

The nitro guitar pick helped me get more than one campfire going. When your limited to a few matches and the tinder is not ideal, throw a couple picks in the mix to honor Jimi Hendrix.

[@sn3dg3r]

Frighteningly fascinating. Can remember being told in woodworking courses years ago that finishing rags could spontaneously combust - reason was never explained, so I never took it seriously - lucky I was crap at woodwork and practice did not make me any better, so never got a chance to carelessly dispose of a rag bomb.

[@FranLab]

That fire hazard is due to the exothermic reaction of curing linseed oil.

[@sn3dg3r]

@@FranLab What? No one told me that preparing a cricket bat was dangerous. Thanks for correcting my misunderstanding. I no longer regret not having a shed, aka the ker-boom room

[@kkzooi]

i love the nitro on my Gibsons. they smell so nice. also in my experience the solvents in nitro cellulose lacquer do not evaprate fast. i refinished one of my guitars it took well over 3 weeks for it to cure to a point where i couldnt press my fingernail into it leaving a dent.

[@roberthorwat6747]

Straight away when you said guitars my first thought was the cover of Sunburst Finish by Be-Bop Deluxe. Wonder if the photographer was surprised how combustible that guitar was!

[@colinbrigham8253]

Thanks Fran ,for sharing your knowledge 🤗

[@RememberingMaryEvely]

I love these sort of random insights into technology. I've seen that bloom on Xcelite tool handles and wondered what it was. PS, I also loved that gadget in the background displaying "FRANLAB".

[@AquesousSolution]

What an absolutely neat subject well researched. James Burke touched on the exploding billiard balls and dice on his tracing of the history of chemical products developments in his "Connections" series from the late 70's on PBS.

[@pilgrimm23]

Thanks Fran. I have a Guild, a Martin and a Fender. ALL are now out of their cases. the Guild is a circa 1972 vintage 12

[@carldurrell9943]

Great video, I have some old Records Collection and table tennis 🏓 Balls and old playing cards sealed in plastic boxes which have been in there for a long time, so I think 🤔 I will have to think of storing them another way, also some old tools like screwdrivers that I inherited, so thank you, as without seeing this video I would not have known, also my Dad keeps record collection including lot of old 78s so I probably should tell him, especially as we all keep them in the house 🏡

[@Jivolt]

That is my dream guitar! But one of my favorite Gretsch guitarrs is the Electromatic semi-hollow body electric guitar. Built out of what looks like particle board but sounds unbelievable when ran straight through my Vox Pathfinder 15R.

[@SudaNIm103]

I'm not a musician and I couldn't careless about guitars but DAMN that one is beautiful!

[@davewilliams9712]

So is the lady playing it..we love you Fran...don't stop Rockin!!!

[@SudaNIm103]

@@davewilliams9712 Beautiful and Brilliant

[@alistairmackintosh9412]

So when you say "This guitar is da bomb!" It has more than one meaning?

[@goldenboy5500]

Varnish is the most common finish type used for playing cards. This liquid gloss finish is applied by the offset printing press to seal in and protect the ink. Lamination is the most protective finish and makes your cards water resistant. Lamination is a thin polypropylene film that is applied after the printing process is complete. Lamination is available in gloss and as an anti-scratch matte lamination

[@Sebastian_Athea]

I could watch Fran playing guitar all day :)

[@dj1NM3]

I remember an British TV show which had "the history of plastics" episode and about the most memorable thing about it was "exploding billiard balls" made of nitrocellulose, from when (mid-19th century) it was the new "supermaterial" which could imitate ivory.

[@davewilliams9712]

So glad I watched this ... I've had an Ibanez pf200 blonde that I " retired" wanting to give it a "birthday" at some stage to restore it to former glory...it is coming out of the case right now 😲.

[@paulmears5330]

This is some very educational and useful info. Than you, Fran!

[@GlennSteffy]

My friend, you are a precious gem!! Thank-you!!

[@pameladeering2450]

Fran, you are a national treasure.

[@DavidRavenMoon]

A lot of those old Gretsch guitars were covered in drum skins too! So even more plastic. A lot of old celluloid bindings and pickguards degrade over time. I have a 1972 Fender Mustang and the pearl pickguard shrunk and got all wavy.

[@jetjazz05]

Craftsman screwdrivers... the clear handled ones, octagonal in shape, oh man. The plastic started out smelling sweet, but as they age they smell like dirty feet. It's pretty crazy, I don't recall the specific name of the plastic but it's available online. Anyways I love the smell of old furniture as well, just the smell of aged things is wonderful. I even grew up in a house built in the 1860s and the smell from the lumber is... magic.

[@JettBlast]

You can play a mean Ax Fran...very cool! I really like that you share this information about retro tech and teaching me cool stuff that is very interesting...

[@jaydeebishop2345]

totally discovering this particular topic. Very important info

[@rb032682]

That old Gretsch sounded great when you played it. Very nostalgic tone, and good playing, too.

[@tmitz73]

Awesome Episode Fran!!! Stay Groovy!

[@lukebowers536]

Knife & fork/cutlery handles used to be made of this in the UK, i still have loads of it in my kitchen

[@DylansPen]

We just had a decent sized earthquake in California. I know there is an ongoing attempt to save many older films and put them on digital for the reason you mention Fran. One can imagine how much historical film was lost since it's inception. For the smell of older screwdriver plastic handles that is butyric acid that smells like vomit. The reason, it is the same exact chemical found in vomit that gives it the smell. They add it to plastic handles to make them feel 'softer' when you're holding it. And it won't go away it is through and through the plastic. I put one of the smelly screwdrivers in a bottle of water with a lot of baking soda in it and let it sit for a day. The smell was entirely gone for about a day but came back entirely after a couple days.

[@JessHull]

yeah I felt it pretty good and I was pretty far from the epicenter....

[@DylansPen]

@@JessHull Yes hear in CA we're used to Earthquakes, but when one hits that is more powerful than normal we take notice yes. That one wasn't an 'average' shake.

[@mdouglaswray]

Great video! I remember nitrocellulose film! Did NOT know about the guitar finishes!

[@rpbajb]

We manufactured nitrocellulose lacquers at the paint company where I worked. They call nitrocellulose 'guncotton' because that's what it looks like in its pure state: white fluffy lint. It's safe to store in sealed drums if kept moist with isopropanol.

[@woodenpuppet7568]

Fran, you are great. This was gooooood.

[@richfiles]

Yet another reminder to backup your media... Nothing is forever. What we fail to preserve, is destined to be lost and forgotten.

[@milobasque5373]

Nice video. Thanks Fran!

[@capolaya]

Very interesting and fascinating storytelling!

[@stevensteptoe682]

Hi Fran, In the 70's here in the UK, six men "The Birmingham Six" were falsely charged, and imprisoned, with being an IRA gang who planted a bomb in a pub and killed a number of people. Part of the prosecution evidence against them was traces of explosives that had been on hand swabs taken when they were arrested - they hadn't been anywhere near explosives, but had instead been playing cards on a train journey to Liverpool just before they were arrested.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

I had a rare film, nitrocellulose, of course (shocking when the film can is opened), of the Rookwood Pottery Works. I donated it to the Cincinnati Art Museum, they had it digitized, and the film itself is now in a special vault at WPAFB, I'm told. I don't know how long it may last, or even the point, but there are apparently tens of thousands of reels.

[@LightSoySauce]

That Gretsch is beautiful

[@goodun2974]

"There was only one instrument of progress the people of Bokono were interested in ---- the electric guitar". From "Cats Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.....but "Kilgore Trout" here already knew this. (I quoted the book from memory, and so I hope I didn't get it too far wrong).

[@jim5148]

Accidentally left a 60's record collection in a closed car on a hot summer day, wildly warping every disc. I guess that was preferable to spontaneously combusting. The things you learn!

[@zy8719]

I really like the style of the shirt you have in this video. Very retro looking.

[@chrisguli2865]

I learned a lot in your short video about nitro...fascinating. I was hoping to see some pyrotechnic demos but I guess I will have to go to Styro Pyro for that! 😂💥💥💥💥💥

[@nilo70]

Thanks Fran !

[@sclogse1]

My recent Novaflex stereo camera focusing slider purchase came with no manual. But Novaflex sent me a pdf, all the way from Germany. I think this little rack slider was made in the 70's. Still perfect. But the manual recommends clean the shafts with...benzine. Then applying some vaseline to them. I haven't heard benzine being mentioned since the Simpson's kids were smelling their yearbooks... I have a feeling some W-2 could be enough....

[@1683clifton]

Prepper tip. Nitro guitar picks are excellent fire starters.

[@timmack2415]

Without giving away too much, I sometimes do work at a national facility that stores original, old films. (The location is a well keep secret) There is a higher concentration of a certain gas, filtration system, humidity and rigid temperature control in the storage buildings for preservation. Halon fire-suppression systems abound. I'm surprised that you failed to mention anything about preservation of nitro, long-term. Peace 🕊️

[@stephencornell6972]

Love your "Nitro Intro", tricky with those words!

[@jerryg50]

Your videos are very interesting and very informative.

[@Wenlocktvdx]

Great info Fran, and the Gretsch is a treasure!

[@eddieeriksson5830]

Did not know this! Thank you !

[@Angelina-xj5zd]

Nitro and acetone makes good fuse waterproofing.

[@FotosbyFrankie]

“Mother of toilet seat!” 😂 I love your “Everyone is Awesome” Lego set! Can’t wait to put mine together! Thank you Fran, as always… love your channel!

[@mikedonnellan4937]

oh my what a gorgeous Gretsch.

[@JohnAllen-st1ll]

I learned something today... :) Nice... Thanks Fran...

[@PplsChampion]

15 people are mad that CompoundW wart remover also contains nitrocellulose as an inactive ingredient

[@Murgoh]

What a lovely guitar. And a purple Tortex, my favorite kind of pick, though I tend to prefer the triangular ones.

[@davidg4288]

I was in Las Vegas in 1993 and one of the hotel videos mentioned the dice were cellulose nitrate because of its dimensional stability. I made sure to get some souvenir dice since they changed them often and gave away the old ones. Last time I saw them they were in good shape. I forgot what I did with them, hopefully they are not with the oily rags! A friend of mine did burn one of his (outdoors) as a test and yes it did burn eagerly when lit with a match. Back in the 1950's a neighbor used to burn old x-ray film with newspaper to make really awesome smoke bombs. Outdoors of course. Everything was safe in the 1950's, cigarettes, leaded gas, asbestos, lead paint. Not atomic bombs though, those were not safe at all.

[@BobDarlington]

Nitro is a very specific term and it's not short for nitrocellulose.

[@sdw1979]

Excellent information Fran! - I now feel the need to get some guitar stands that won't react with the nitro on my guitars if I leave them out of their cases....!?! 😲

[@cedric1958]

Vinegar syndrome is related to Acetate film which was also used in tool handles. Polyester is very stable.

[@samjones1954]

FYI. As a projectionist of 30 years I can assure you that the theatre did not line the wall with asbestos. However fire was taken very seriously. All projectors kept the film real in what was known as a fire proof housing. Both at the top of the projector and the bottom for take-up. Also there where safety shutters on all windows. These where steel sliders that slid down over the window. They where kept up by rope. if the rope burnt, the windows sealed. All doors where metal and walls where cinder block. Today. all of that is gone. New theatres have large pain glass windows and no shutters. Fire is not a problem with safety film. To finish this story. I found a can of nitro film and when I opened it, I saw what I would describe as gelatin. I called the fire department, we took it to the bomb range and they shot the can and it left a 3 foot crater.

[@davidarthur852]

Loved the video and the Lego set in the background. Hugs from the UK.

[@DesertRat1976]

I have a classical guitar from 1972 (mine since then) and now I know what that sweet smell is. Fascinating 🧐

[@aletoledo1]

love this type of deep dive into a topic.

[@77shoemanable]

Great episode !!! Thanks

[@garliclovers1416]

Great video. Thanks.

[@jetjazz05]

Nitro lacquered sounds like a terrific band name

[@IDK-kv8ob]

I really enjoy your voice and facial expressions 😄