Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Mellotronists

 

"J.P." wrote:

 Greetings Gang Well I for one, am very gladthat Jerry Korb's 'Trons are well protected from the bad weather that NewEngland has suffered from recently. Right now, I'm going through mold remediation(which is NO fun!)... and this brings up a couple of questions. Has anyoneever suffered mold problems with their 'Trons? I know that the 'Tron canbe affected by humidity... but has anyone ever dealt with a mold situation?And what would be an optimum relative humidity for a 'Tron? I would thinkthat a low relative humidity could bring on static problems; and high humiditycould bring on mold growth, among other things.

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Hi J.P.   ,    You've raised an excellentquestion and topic for discussion.
The majority of unrestored Tron issues have been storage in uncontrolled
conditions for years or even decades. Then we wonder why the steel
bits are rusted, and cabinets out-of-square , worse than a wrecked
1971 Chevy Nova.
 

I personally haven't experienced mold in Tron cabinets, but have
seen what moisture can do to the chipboard of M300's and M400's.
Left untreated, they'll buckle/warp, and in some cases, disintegrate
at the corners .    I call it the "shredded wheatsyndrome", or for our
mates in the EU,  "Wheat-a-bix " .  Only fix for thatis to reconstruct the
damaged piece with either a new section  of wood, or a mixof epoxy/sawdust,
trowelled/molded into that area.
 

A TINY amount of bleach mixed with a TINY amount of water
applied by scrubbing-sponge,will remove most mold.  Furtherprevention
of mold spores can be aided  by application of "Kilz" or "Bin",
available in most stores.

Low humidity causes tapes to stick,snarl and possibly break in worstcases.
Some owners have reported snapping sounds in the audio on occasion.
Cycling models, esp the M300's must be given particular attention,
else "spaghettification" can result. "   I once demonstratedwith a small
6W flourescent bulb in hand.  It flashed brightly after walkingacross the
carpet, and touching the frame of an M400 . Was about a 1-2KV spike.

 
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  On a related subject... with hurricane season less than a monthaway, does anyone have a plan to protect their 'Trons in case a storm comestheir way? For some reason, a "Protect 'O Muff" just doesn't cut it whenit comes to storms like this! We here in Florida are under the gun again...as always... but the National Hurricane Center has said that there is agood chance that the Mid Atlantic, and New England states may get hit thisyear, and as a lot of our group lives in these regions, it's really somethingto think about! Will your homeowners insurance cover your 'Tron... do youneed to evacuate your 'Tron (and yourself and family of course!) to a saferarea? It's better to think about it now... then 24 hours before a hurricanehits your area. J.P. MicroTron 001   "small enough to pack inthe Toyota, and get out of Dodge!"

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I've always chuckle whenever I hear the name "Protect-O-Muff."
Sounds a bit kinky, huh ?  Apologies in advance, "Mellotrongirl. "
That cover could actually be a medium to encourage mold growth
in humid weather or climates. Must be airtight to fully work.
Those holes in bottom of M400 cabinets can be temp. blocked.
Keeps the furry little nibblers outta there too.

A medium-priced dehumidifier will automatically activate in the
summer or humid months. My bsmt. is cool/dry, but immed. begins
to sweat when warm/humid air from outside infiltrates.
Same can occur to Trons unless proactive measures are taken.
 

Ken Merbler of our List had his MK-II on the sixth floor of
oceanfront condo in Cocoa Beach, FL.  If those storm shuttersfailed,
could have spelled disaster.  Tony Moffett, you're still inFL  too ?
How did you prepare for rough weather ahead ?
 The words "high and dry" immed. come to mind.

M400 owner Lee Richards of B'Ham, AL has skirted severe storms severaltimes
already this year. Ditto for a MK-V owner in Augusta,GA . Both livein
humid climates of the deep South.
 

Homeowner's insurance will fully cover articles within the residence,
ONLY If you ask for optional "replacement cost." On special items
like classic instruments/gear, autos, artwork,jewelry,etc. a specialpolicy is
sometimes attached to main policy as a "rider" or "floater" (poorchoice
of words!) .  A buddy of mine whose wife is insurance VP inHartford,CT
recommended several of these choices to research  further.

Finally,  you can invest in a moisture-absorbent bag  ofsilica-gel.
Commercially available online from many sources. That's the stuffyou
see packed with new electronics, saying "Do not eat."  Placethat bag
in the floor pan your Tron , and that's it.

Hope all this info helps, gang.  "Good night and good luck !"

--Jerry Korb