Do moleskine covers contain PVC?

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larak
 
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Do moleskine covers contain PVC?

Post by larak »

I'm planning on purchasing an Epilog in the next couple of months, primarily for tech etching, but also for moleskine etching. Now I'm kind of concerned that my moleskine dreams are going down the tubes. Two of my favorite moleskine customization sites have gone offline:

http://www.modofly.net/ (the one that originally got me interested)
and
http://www.engraveyourbook.com/

The Modofly site mentions, "concerns regarding the chemical make-up of our (what use to be) beloved moleskines" and I've found a few things tidbits online that describe moleskine covers as "PVC-coated cardboard." Is this true? Can anyone give any definitive info? I emailed Moleskine for an MSD sheet and got no reply.

Much appreciated!

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ak chris
 
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Post by ak chris »

I just finished engraving 20 Moleskine notebooks for BANNED party gifts for a friend, so I'm basing my observations/conclusion on that and not an MSDS. I don't think that they contain PVC. I don't know if you have ever smelled melting/burning PVC but it has a very strong distinct odor. (chlorine gas, etc.). I didn't smell any of that when I engraved them. Even the sacrificial one that I charred figuring out the settings didn't emit anything more than a burnt paper smell. And, all the descriptions I've seen describe them as oilcloth covered.


I have had my laser for about a month and bought mine used and had it shipped up to me. (Alaska) I also just had the regional rep fly in to check on me and see if everything was set up and working properly, show me how to do maintenance, etc. and he said you can tell if someone has been cutting/engraving PVC and mine checked out. I live in a very humid environment so the effects would show up very quickly.

I say engrave away and don't lose any sleep.

Just my two cents worth.

Chris

adafruit
 
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Post by adafruit »

20 moleskines wouldnt do much damage, but if it was going on got 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week that could make an effect.
personally i dont think its worth the risk, but it may be for others

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ak chris
 
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Post by ak chris »

Obviously, the best thing would be to verify whether it contains PVC or not. I still have my doubts based on my very sensitive sense of smell. Hopefully, someone will be able to confirm it one way or another. I guess until then "Laseraet Emptor" (okay, I don't know Latin but you know what I mean.)

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ak chris
 
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Post by ak chris »

All this got me curious, so I decided to try the test I always used on fabrics to use for historic clothing......put a lighter to it and see if it burns and how it smells and melts......my verdict


I think you guys are right.......with a direct flame on a large surface until it starts smoking, it melts instead of burns (like oilcloth would) and puts off a distinctly plastic smell. It definately has plastic in the coating and short of a independent test, I think to be safe we should proceed as if it is PVC.

Sometimes the nose doesn't know.

Thanks for the info. I'll engrave the few I have left and then stop. I like BANNED work better anyway. Plus, I can do it all in house and justify charging more.

Thanks for passing on the info.

Chris

larak
 
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Post by larak »

OK, I got a response from one of the folks from modofly. Here's what he had to say...
Hey Lara,

Yes its PVC. We will be back up next week, but we will be phasing out the books by end of year. We have purchased a filter made especially for this, so DONT BURN UNLESS YOU HAVE ONE!!!

The PVC creates several extremely toxic gases, AND the chlorine gas makes hydrochloric acid which corrodes the machine very rapidly.

Good luck. This is a hard one to navigate around!!!
So, that seems like a pretty definitive answer to me. :cry:

I hate to say it, but I'll probably snap up more of other people's lasered moleskines while they still exist, just because I like them so much and they won't be around much longer. I also really want to find an alternative notebook solution, something environmentally friendly hopefully.

adafruit
 
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Post by adafruit »

screenprinting :)
or perhaps a vinylcutter?

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