Date: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:45:31 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Cold steering wheel
In-Reply-To: <49c249e3.29578c0a.2942.7472@mx.google.com>
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David,
Despite your reasonable assumption that the Vanagon steering wheel is
unremarkable in its composition, I still think that it is composed of an
intentionally evil heat-sucking plastic. A creation of Nazi research.
Probably a side-product developed at IG Farben under the direction of Dr.
Laszlo Jamf during his development of the aromatic heterocyclic polymer,
Imipolex-G.
Mrs Squirrel been tested for Reynaud's syndrome and came up negative.
Despite this, her fingers and toes are like little freakin' ice cubes even
under the mildest conditions. I attribute that to the XX chromosome thing.
As for the look of delight she gets on her face when she makes me jump by
pressing those icy bits against my exposed skin? Sadism, pure and simple.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
On 3/19/2009 6:33 AM David Beierl wrote:
> At 08:45 PM 3/18/2009, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>> cold winter day that plastic material sucks the heat out of my fingers
>> like it's made of aluminum or some other material with high thermal
>> conductivity. Or is it something to do with specific heat? I was doodling
>
> I think it's more to do with the circulation in your fingers, or lack
> thereof. Like steering wheels in general it's made of plastic with a
> steel core, specific heat of each probably around 0.1. Your fingers,
> having considerable water, likely have a specific heat of 0.5 or
> more. But they've a lot less mass than the wheel, and they don't
> have to cool down that much to feel cold. As to the conductivity --
> leave a couple pounds of aluminum or steel out there all night and
> try holding it for ten minutes...I think you'll prefer the steering wheel.
>
> If you're new to cold weather it may help to know two things: first,
> type for type, mittens are *much* warmer than gloves, since your
> fingers can warm each other instead of the outside. Second, as long
> as they hurt it's ok. If they quit hurting and turn waxy white*
> that's called frostbite, and you should learn how to deal with it
> correctly before some well-meaning idjit comes along and rubs snow on it.
>
> *Not the same as Raynaud's syndrome, where exposure to cold causes
> the circulation to clamp down when they're still fairly warm -- no
> intermediate hurts like heck stage. If you have that, sometimes
> shaking them out like fever thermometers helps get it going
> again. And laying off the coffee.
>
>
> --
> David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
> '89 Po' White Star "Scamp"
>
>
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