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Steel Thistle silk - uses

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Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by DDHvi   » Fri Jul 24, 2015 10:24 pm

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I'm a bit surprised that there hasn't been much discussion about possible uses of steel thistle silk, even with the cost problem. IIRC many of the early balloons used silk to keep the weight down.

One item worth considering: at present, some groups are trying out parasails to reduce fuel consumption when the wind conditions are right. Why couldn't someone who is checking out the best uses for STS in sails think of a steerable spinnaker, which is basically what a parasail is. Also, a parasail powered ship would have less leverage from the sails, therefore less heeling of the hull. Possibly someone with sailing understanding could outline the possibilities?

When the point of heavier than air flying craft is reached, it would be good for cloth covered wings. At present some small slow aircraft are using parasails instead of wings. Even before that, some form of dirigible or zeppelin design could make good use of it.

No mention has been made of ropes using that material - it might be a bit before the cost is low enough to allow that, but there could be places where the extra strength would be worth the higher cost.

Other ideas?
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Larry   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:23 am

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Silk stockings that don't develop runs. Honestly as much as my wife complains about runs in her stockings these ought to sell like crazy in Charis. ;)
On a serious not I'm assuming that along with steel platelets it ought to make a decent body armor. Something like scale mail or the Roman lorica. Even modern-style body armor might be possible. Go a long way to causing some Army of God type to have his eyes bug out when he shoots an Charisian Imperial Army soldier and the guy keeps coming. It's usability and purposes will vary depending on if it's more like nylon, or more like Kevlar.
An yes I agree, sail material for a wing or skin for a balloon seem like perfect ideas to me for usages, but so far David hasn't even considered balloons or airplanes. Even Kites haven't been mentioned that I can recall. Maybe David will slip in a side note about that at some point. In any case I'm sure there are even more uses. If mining on Silverload picks up, silk steel trousers for miners could be all the rage, since mining can be hell on clothes. Making tough pants sure paid off for Levi Strauss.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Larry
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by chrisd   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 1:49 am

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Good ideas, yes.

BUT

Steel thistle is a natural product so the supply will be limited and it is a b*****d to produce, even with the industrial machines that Merlin passed on.

So, the old "supply and demand" will rule its adoption.

IIRC it IS being used for the Tighter-woven flatter-cut sails used by the RCN but with wider use of steam power then this usage will diminish, even so, I believe that this novo-sailcloth is restricted to the Navy, rather than the Merchant Marine where the power-loom woven sailcloths are the norm (For Imperial Charis)
Last edited by chrisd on Sat Nov 07, 2015 3:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by jchilds   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 3:31 am

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Does it make a good rope for nooses?
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Weird Harold   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:29 am

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DDHvi wrote:I'm a bit surprised that there hasn't been much discussion about possible uses of steel thistle silk, even with the cost problem. IIRC many of the early balloons used silk to keep the weight down.


see viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6388 but beware of spoilers as that is a link to Snippet #10.

For the squeemish, a minor spoiler:

































Snippet #10 wrote:The liberal use of thistle silk was expensive, even for the Charisian textile industry, but it was no longer prohibitively expensive, ...
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Answers! I got lots of answers!

(Now if I could just find the right questions.)
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Randomiser   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:38 am

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chrisd wrote:Good ideas, yes.

BUT

Steel thistle is a natural product so the supply will be limited and it is a b*****d to produce, even with the industrial machines hat Merlin passed on.

So, the old "supply and demand" will rule its adoption.



There's this thing called 'farming' ... ? ;) In other words, yes, it's a natural product, but if there are important uses for it that bring in lots of Marks, i.e. if the demand is there, the supply will rocket. I didn't get the impression that it was impossibly hard to manufacture cloth from it with machines. Harder than cotton-silk, certainly, but not so much so. Seems that the only really hard bit is getting the seeds or burrs out. Way back in book one or two, the cloth manufacturer's eyes sure lit up when he thought of using the cotton gin on steel thistle.
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Charybdis   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:54 am

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In a previous post I had made the suggestion that the best use of Steel Thistle, other than for feminine garments :lol: , would be for cordage (ropes). Nothing has been said about its resilience or stretching, but in the tech era Safehold is currently in, there is an enormous usage of all matters of rope and, if it is like some of the 'modern' synthetics, it is a non-proscribed revolution on its own!
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Undercover Fat Kid   » Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:40 pm

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If it's thin, they could layer it and impregnate it with resin for fiberglass, or they could test its efficacy at sipping bullets....
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Duty is as a mountain
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by Isilith   » Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:49 am

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Undercover Fat Kid wrote:If it's thin, they could layer it and impregnate it with resin for fiberglass, or they could test its efficacy at sipping bullets....


Sipping bullets? You think steel silk will drink bullets? :P
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Re: Steel Thistle silk - uses
Post by JeffEngel   » Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:39 am

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Isilith wrote:
Undercover Fat Kid wrote:If it's thin, they could layer it and impregnate it with resin for fiberglass, or they could test its efficacy at sipping bullets....


Sipping bullets? You think steel silk will drink bullets? :P

Brings a whole new meaning to "suck it up!" And it'd be a fantastic phrasing to sell your armor to the military.
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