[ Marc Elbasani wrote in 020408 MMDigest:

> Woodworms and termites are a scary thing to me, so I was hoping you
> all could suggest a number of different poisons to mix into shellac.

Marc:  Please, as a restorer, the last thing I need is to have poisoned
pipes.  The shellac alone is usually enough to make most critters head
for easier pickings.

Besides, you should not shellac all of the exposed areas of some pipes.
Some pipes are constructed to let the wood under the languid breath
freely for changes in humidity.  Most wood pipes are "sized" inside
with hot horse-hide glue and not shellacked.

The main chemical used to kill bugs on an ongoing basis is a compound
of arsenic.  Remember what that did to Napoleon!  As for
di-chloroethylmercalomine stearate and the like, these are oil-based
and will not let the ethyl alcohol solvent of the shellac dry smoothly
and clearly.  Plus, just handling the pipe would put these neurotoxins
right through your skin into your blood.

My advice is to put fresh cedar chips in a cloth bag in the organ,
put moth flakes around the intake to the blower, and moth repellant
packs hung in the area of the pipes.

On organs where I have found infestations of post beetle, etc., a call
to a professional brings them out with methyl chloride gas canisters,
space suits, duct tape, rubber bags, and an EPA approved permit to use
them.  When they are finished the odor lingers for a short time only
and things are safe afterward.  I have done this on band organs,
orchestrions, and even large pipe organs installed in buildings.

Lead dust is bad enough.  Please don't add any more hazards.  Thanks,

Al Sefl -- Brain damaged from 50+ years of sniffing hot glue...