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Trying for the life of me to figure out why ordering ivoroid binding requires a hazmat fee from (name withheld - PM me..)? I put a couple of $5-ish strips in the cart, never mind the $8 shipping, but after updating the cart, it tells me that there is a $22.50 "hazmat fee" to ship these, bringing me close to $40 for a couple of strips of binding....

Went over to another site (PM me for name) and got the same $5 strips out the door with a nominal shipping fee (NOT more than the product is worth).

Anyone know what gives?? Should i be expecting my mailbox to burst into flames? Should I be wearing a hazmat suit when i open the envelope?

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

If it's celluloid like the old-school bindings, then yeah - its flammable. But I can't really see how a few binding strips present a hazmat hazard.

Unless they're being shipped to Texas! 50 straight days over 95°F, really?!?!? Its a wonder you all don't spontaneously combust.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

I know what gives...one supplier is complying with the shipper (UPS, whatever) who is the one that charges the hazmet fee. The other supplier is not. If something ever happened during shipment, the second supplier would be in deep...

Well... you bring up a good point, if thats the case.. better safe than sorry. But really, i can't imagine anything untoward happening with that stuff unless there was already a fire or something going on - the strips sit out in my shop in the 100+ degree heat for weeks on end - maybe I should be worried?? Guess I never thought about it.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Haha... well... i was trying to leave specific vendors unnamed, as this was not meant as a slight towards any of them, just throwing it out there. I am also glad that LMI stocks it, and it was not my intent to discourage anyone from purchasing there, just scratching my head on that fee when no one else seems to charge it.

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Really though, the cardboard the stuff is shipped in is flammable too, why isn't there a hazmat on that?
In the "history of celluloid" (the title of my new book, btw) has anyone ever heard of any "spontaneous combustion" (chapter 23) of the finished product?
Sure, you can get the stuff to light off with a flame, but the other is a crock.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

I remember seing a small video of a guy lighting up a small amount of ivoroid bindings scraper shavings. The thing lit up like black powder! Pretty frightning.

I can understand charging hasmat fees. I know I would!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Hi all:

Celluloid or cellulose nitrate is liable to spontaneous combustion besides being flammable. The problem was more likely with early movies printed on cellulose nitrate (the first flexible film base) then stored in metal film reel containers. Over time the film would first break down into a goo (like older tuner buttons) then turn to brown powder. At this point it is liable to spontaneous combustion. The people who make ivoroid would be able to say whether their brand is still made from cellulose nitrate as it was when first introduced. There are fire codes I know of that do not allow any storage of cellulose nitrate film, single sheet or movie film, in the county of their jurisdiction.

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GEO
perpetual beginner

I think this hazardous shipment stuff gets carried WAY too far. Yes,if you scrape shavings,celluloid will burn. That's because of the vastly increased surface area. Wheat flour blows up grain elevators due to great surface area.

Solid strips of celluloid aren't going to suddenly burst into flames. Ever hear of an old guitar suddenly bursting into flames? Of course not. Ever hear of charging hazmat for a guitar with celluloid bindings? Of course not.

Yes,you can light a strip of celluloid with an flame,but it doesn't go off by itself.

I think the hazmat thing is a bit much for a couple little pieces, but I once lit up a piece of ivoroid while touching up a neck on the belt sander. Basically I had a little jet of flame shooting off the end of the fingerboard.

I have had Ivoroid ignite while bending it with a hair dryer, NOT a heat gun. It was pretty scarry the first time it happened. Was bending it for a mando scroll.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I wonder if the two "ivorid" poducts are the same stuff? Does anyone know? Where are you John?

Steve

Well mine arrived the other day, and a close visual check reveals that I cannot tell a difference in any aspect from one to the other.. they appear to be the same stuff.

adam

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"Everyone wants to BE something, but nobody wants to BECOME something" - William Cumpiano

Yes,you can light celluloid with enough grinding heat,or with a real hot air blast. I think it is ridiculous to charge HAZMAT when shipping it,though.It isn't getting ground by a grinder or any of the other stuff. It is many,many times thicker than old movie film. With less surface area,it isn't going to ignite unless the truck catches fire. Then,it's too late anyway,isn't it? This whole planet is getting WAY too PC and wimpy.