Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

'Positive criticism" is most definitely NOT an oxymoron.

Somehow, the word "criticism" has acquired a negative connotation in Western culture. I substitute the word "critique" whenever I can, to deflect this, but it sounds pretentious to many.

Positive criticism implies positive yet realistic commentary, while negative implies the opposite.

Just plain "criticism" is often more accurate, one of the few cases where a more general word is more appropriate for accuracy in spirit, if not letter.

I still prefer "critique" for its implication of healthy, open dialogue.

I'm not sure it's correct in English in this exact form, but there's "constructive criticism" (i. e. positive, an advice or a wish, which stimulates the one who's being criticized to improve his work, etc, but doesn't make them feel bad) and "destructive criticism", which, quite naturally, means what it says.

I think we should try to stick with 'constructive criticism'.

PS:Sheena just beat me to it!

I completely support the notion that we can have intelligent and thoughtful discussions that might also be critical.

Although we tend to talk up Ricks on this board, there is a lot of good criticism and discussion. On the whole, it tends to be in good nature and not hurtful or mean-spirited. I didn't see the thread, but I trust that it crossed the line and was unproductive.

Discussing quality issues is dicey business. Sometimes it is hard to bring up a potentially negative issue without starting a lot of trouble. That simply should not be the case. RIC quality overall is very pleasing to me but sometimes I see things that just knock me off my horse. Granted, that is rare. If the instrument is under warranty, the problem should probably not be mentioned here (first/at all). RIC Customer Service should have an exclusive on the situation - IMHO. Other items that may have escaped detection before the warranty expired might end up being helpful to RIC if they are aired here in a responsible way.

Thank you Sheena! I should have said "Constructive criticism".

Mark, I must have missed that one! Nevertheless, you must have a wonderful wife for her not smacking you around after saying she isn't perfect.

...coming dear! I have to go now. My perfect wife is calling.

Ted, are you using a mortar and pestle to grind your material? If not, they can be found on eBay fairly cheap, e.g.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-inch-Mortar-and-Pestle-White-Porcelain-100mm-Kitchen_W0QQitemZ7602354227QQcategoryZ26412QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Also, you might consider investing in a set of sieves to size the ground material:

http://cgi.ebay.com/US-STANDARD-SIEVE-SERIES-PARTICLE-SIZE-SIFTER_W0QQitemZ7600190996QQcategoryZ26237QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm thinking that if you knew what particle size (or combination of sizes) was best, it would be easier to duplicate the results batch-to-batch.

My apologies if this is a bit too scientific!

The Dale Crusher......

Gary: Did you used to play with these guys?

Yes, I have one Gary. I got it from a local surplus store for about $13. The sieves I have not tried though.

I was just reminded of something that I should pass along here. Both Dale Fortune and John Hall have mentioned this. The materials used in making the inlays are hazardous if not handled properly. The dust from the crushed MOP is very damaging to the respiratory system. If anyone here tries to make this inlay material it is important that the proper precautions be taken. It is strongly suggested that you wear a mask certified for organic material and use a good dust collector with a HEPA final exhaust filter.

Yep. This is calcium carbonate, though mollusk-generated.

Calcium carbonate--marble when it is in mineral form, can produce lung conditions similar to silicosis (white lung disease).

Wear protection, as Dad used to say...

BTW, marble is a metamorphic rock derived from limestone; some marble has visible remnants of seashells in it.

Most solid materials in finely divided form are inhalation hazards. There is a good, searchable Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) resource here:

http://hazard.com/msds/

In my experience as a chemist, the worst stuff I ever worked with was a solution of sodium cyanide in dimethyl sulfoxide. One small splatter-drop on the skin would have been enough to kill (it would have been absorbed instantly through the skin).

During my petroleum lab days we used sodium cyanide to prepare tiny metal plates for a particular kind of oxidation test. The standards book said it would clean the plates of any corrosion inhibitors applied during or after manufacturing. It always scared the **** out of me to even have that bottle out of the cabinet. In college chemistry we worked with various chromates, some aromatics, bromine and chlorine gasses, and we made aquaregia (sp?). All scary stuff.