Sorry, I`m pointlessly compelled to ask: how much is a cake of rosin? Nevermind, please continue. I know, NOT the point. 
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Double Bass Old Wine in a New Bottle (rosin recycling tutorial)
- Thread starter Don Kasper
- Start date
Sorry, I`m pointlessly compelled to ask: how much is a cake of rosin? Nevermind, please continue. I know, NOT the point.
Well, Mr. Rockefeller, it's not so much the cost of the rosin, (in my case), it's the fact that I believe that the outermost layer eventually dries out, and becomes unusable... while underneath, there lies perfectly good, usable rosin. The removal of the top, exposed 1/4" layer, and subsequent melting/re-mixing, seems to ALWAYS improve the performance, even with a single-source. I'm very curious if other "cheapskates" will confirm my theory.
Also Too - I've noticed that my Hybridization experiments of combining (very old) Pops with my usual Nyman's (or even with some OLD "Chicago Bass" rosin), yielded a MUCH improved cake.
You may now return to yelling at the Help!
Good Day, Sir.
- Aug 1, 2005
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- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
If the main problem is the top layer drying out, would just removing it be just as good? I'm thinking you could use a belt sander, band saw, or probably best would be a hot wire. I'll try it and report back.
Removing the top layer seems to help, but I've noticed significant improvements, after melting/remixing, as well. (I'm not sure WHY this is.)
Also: Belt Sander = Friction = Heat = Mess.
Let me know if you notice an improvement by removing the top layer.
Thanks.
It seems about the same but this cake wasn't particularly old or dried out. It just needed re-pouring. I do have an old Pops cake sitting around that I may experiment with.
Hi all,
One of my NOT brighter moments: melting rosin in the microwave in it's plastic container. Yep, the rosin melted just fine. So did the plastic container!
I've used Kolstein soft in the silicone container for quite a while now and am mostly happy with it.
I've found that if, after it's started to dry out, if I do the following each time I use it, I get some additional life out of the cake:
1. remove it entirely from the container;
2. swipe from the BOTTOM of the cake;
3. place it back in the container as it was before--fresher, moister side down;
4. cover.
Seems to work.
One of my NOT brighter moments: melting rosin in the microwave in it's plastic container. Yep, the rosin melted just fine. So did the plastic container!
I've used Kolstein soft in the silicone container for quite a while now and am mostly happy with it.
I've found that if, after it's started to dry out, if I do the following each time I use it, I get some additional life out of the cake:
1. remove it entirely from the container;
2. swipe from the BOTTOM of the cake;
3. place it back in the container as it was before--fresher, moister side down;
4. cover.
Seems to work.
- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
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- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
Yes. Worse would be getting that sticky all over a good saw blade. Maybe I'll try a hacksaw.
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- Aug 1, 2005
- 3,546
- 1,421
- Disclosures
- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
That's what I was thinking, but this one might not get hot enough. I do have some NiCr wire lying around, but the hacksaw option seems like the first thing to try. Now that I think about it, my Nymann cake is like ten years old. But, it was already pretty dried out when I bought it.
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1. My Cryogenic approach allows the cake to undergo a very controlled "scraping" with an Xacto knife, to carefully remove the top layer - scraping off little by little, NOT using the Guillotine approach. After scraping, I hold it briefly over an open flame to minimize any ruts/scrape marks, and even out the surface. FYI.
2. I would try a mix of 1/2 Nymann and 1/2 Pops - this recipe yielded great results for me.
Thanks for your time and interest.
Last night I scraped off the top layer of my Kolstein's soft rosin, dropped it in a little pie plate and heated it for around 10 minutes in the oven (350 degrees). Not sure if it's as good as new but it sure is better than it was yesterday. If I do this again, I think I'll just plop the rosin and it's silicon cup in the oven (after a quick scrape of the top layer). I'm thinking that if my wife's silicon muffin tins are made to go in the oven, I'm sure the Kolstein cup will survive just fine...
Update: I noticed that the hybrid cake of rosin that I cooked back in Dec. 2015 (50/50, Pops/Chicago Bass rosins), was getting a bit "dry" and glassy on top, so I've re-melted it and re-poured it into a new cup.
This summer in SoCal has been unusually HOT, (only IQ's should be in the triple digits!), which means the cake has been exposed to a lot of dry, Air Conditioned air, even though I've tried to keep it sealed in plastic-wrap when not in use.
I'm letting the cake stabilize today from the freezing/heating/cooling process, and I'm anxious to try it tonight to see if it has improved.
FYI/TMI?
Thanks.
This summer in SoCal has been unusually HOT, (only IQ's should be in the triple digits!), which means the cake has been exposed to a lot of dry, Air Conditioned air, even though I've tried to keep it sealed in plastic-wrap when not in use.
I'm letting the cake stabilize today from the freezing/heating/cooling process, and I'm anxious to try it tonight to see if it has improved.
FYI/TMI?
Thanks.
So, I can confirm that the cake is noticeably improved after melting/mixing and repouring. The hair IMMEDIATELY grabbed the surface of the cake and a nice, even application was applied across the width of the hair - no forcing the hair into the surface of the cake to get it to grab... (Note: I did NOT scrape off the top layer of the cake prior to melting - I felt that this cake was not old or dry enough to warrant removal of the top layer.)
I'd like to (humbly) encourage others to try this with old (or small), unused cakes that appear to be past their usefulness.
Thanks.
I'd like to (humbly) encourage others to try this with old (or small), unused cakes that appear to be past their usefulness.
Thanks.
I finally got around to reprocessing my old cake of Pop's. I removed the exposed layer and melted/repoured. It's definitely better than it was but still incredibly underwhelming, I'm guessing due to sheer age. I bought it at a local violin shop and apparently was the first bassist to walk in the door this decade. 
I finally got around to reprocessing my old cake of Pop's. I removed the exposed layer and melted/repoured. It's definitely better than it was but still incredibly underwhelming, I'm guessing due to sheer age. I bought it at a local violin shop and apparently was the first bassist to walk in the door this decade.
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Sorry your results were "underwhelming". Maybe try a mix of 50/50, Old/New Pops?
I guess it's like they say "YMMV".
I would hope others would give this a try - in the interest of Science.
Thanks.
Alright Don. In the interest of science, there is now a cake of 2010~ish vintage Pops, and a cake of 2012~ish vintage Kolstein AW in my freezer.
To keep it extra science-y, I have multiple identical fibreglass bows receiving rehairs from the same pound of hair to control the bow aspect as much as possible, and new cakes of both Pops and Kolstein AW purchased within the last 2 months to compare them to. Stay tuned, and I shall report my findings when the rosin is cooked and the bows have seen some action.
To keep it extra science-y, I have multiple identical fibreglass bows receiving rehairs from the same pound of hair to control the bow aspect as much as possible, and new cakes of both Pops and Kolstein AW purchased within the last 2 months to compare them to. Stay tuned, and I shall report my findings when the rosin is cooked and the bows have seen some action.
Excellent, Mike!
OK! Time for some Science!
1. Will this be a hybrid mix 50/50 or 2 monolithic melts?
2. What is the current condition of each cake? Are they unusable or just deteriorated?
3. Will you be removing the outermost layer (the top) 1/8 inch or so, as this is usually the most exposed part of the cake.
4. Have the bows been played by you (Mike/Scientist) previously, and if so, are all relatively identical in performance?
5. You're scaring me with your omission of the "cooling" phase - don't forget to let the cake breathe/rest and return to room temperature(24 hrs?) as the core will retain heat.
6. Please - no chanting, incantations, or animal sacrifice of any sort - we don't dabble in the spirit world - we're Scientists!
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