Temperature changes

[javert]

Hi.

I recently moved to a new house, and my new office / play room is rather small and has a big window facing west, meaning that here in Denmark, I'll be getting loads of afternoon sun. The problem I'm facing is that the temperature varies quite alot in the room and it's not even summer yet. I'm wondering whether I should keep my guitars in another room that does not receive as much sunlight. But since I practice in my office anyway, that would mean that I will subject my guitars to sudden temperature changes when I bring them to my office to practice. This morning it was 22 C (~71 F) and now it's 30 C (~86 F), for example. What do you think?

Regards,
Mads

[fett]

Buy curtains? And welcome to the board. I'm not trying to be a smart-ass. But, that's not a degree change I would worry about. Humidity is another issue. These ain't cigars. I'm sorry. That just popped into my feeble brain.

[S-man]

I don't know how people live without A/C. 86F is just too damn hot for a house....at least it is for me. I geuss I'm spoiled. I remember back in the day when central a/c wasn't so common place...that sucked.

Additionally, A/C keeps the humidity levels down.

As Fett said, humidity is another issues. High humidity level aren't just bad for the wood, but hardware as well. Suprisingly, I've seen peoples stuff that looks like it was rescued from the titantic as a result of high humidity levels.

Low humidity can be bad too, drying out the fretboard etc.

Though I do think some people get a little carried away worring about it.

Welcome to the forum. If you have any questions about how temp.s and humidity affect plywood guitars. Fett is the man! j/k

[javert]

Hehe, thanks. Oh, and I do have curtains You know, I've traveled quite a bit in the US, and I must say that I do like the A/C's. They are not common here, but maybe I should get one. The reason that I'm worried about the temperature changes is that the fretboard on my Soloist cracked in some frets and I'm worried that the same will happen to the Kelly custom I bought on Hawaii a month ago.

[GodOfRhythm]

Get a humidifier (pretty cheap nowadays) and move them to another, less sun-covered room (perhaps north-facing?) or keep the curtains closed. Or if you REALLY want to be safe, put tinfoil against the windows (which is what we do in Summer), that'll keep the house/room very cool.

Or otherwise humidifier and put 'em in their case and closet 'em.

[pebber]

The reason that I'm worried about the temperature changes is that the fretboard on my Soloist cracked in some frets and I'm worried that the same will happen to the Kelly custom I bought on Hawaii a month ago.

well -and I suppose it's- ebony tends to crack if it becomes to dry, meaning you have to oil it periodically..

[fett]

Here, in Seattle, I have the best/worse of both worlds. Right now, it's semi-sunny and raining. You can't win up here. I just let my guitars acclimate. They will do what they do.

[S-man]

well -and I suppose it's- ebony tends to crack if it becomes to dry, meaning you have to oil it periodically..

So true. Rosewood should be oiled as well.

I just try to use common sense. I always oiled my boards. I don't remember anyone telling me to. I just thought it made sense. Plus you gotta clean the fretboard anyway. If you don't..that's just nasty.

I didn't have the internet back then...Al Gore didn't invent it yet.

The new guys are so lucky to have all this information at thier fingertips.

I wish we had this back in the day...I'm not that old! But old enough.

I don't know how we survived all the setup issues with floating trems, etc., etc.???

Sorry...I was just thinking out loud.

[kelly user]

Get a humidifier (pretty cheap nowadays) and move them to another, less sun-covered room (perhaps north-facing?) or keep the curtains closed. Or if you REALLY want to be safe, put tinfoil against the windows (which is what we do in Summer), that'll keep the house/room very cool.

Or otherwise humidifier and put 'em in their case and closet 'em.

dumbest thing i have heard all day long............ lets make a scenario........ a chicken in the oven, that is on, wrapped in foil mind you, isn't going to keep cool, it is going to heat up and keep the heat in the area where it is covering. let's make a bigger scenario, your room, windows covered in foil, the sun acts like a big oven. what is room going to do?

[fett]

Tin foil reflects heat. It doesn't absorb it. Yeah, cover a chicken in foil. The reason it browns is the heat bounces off the foil. Or something like that.

[javert]

Thanks for the input, guys. I do oil my fretboards whenever I change the strings. The cracks in the fretboard of my Soloist appeared before I changed the string for the first time. The cracks aren't too bad, mostly a cosmetic "suboptimality". Maybe the airplane ride back home was more than it could take. I think I'll keep the guitars in the room for now since I play them there anyway. Probably the slow changes in temperature during the day is better for them than suddenly bringing them into the room.

Thanks.

Oh, and I feel an urge to show a picture now...

[GodOfRhythm]

Love the Kelly! I'm a sucker for reverse sharks.

dumbest thing i have heard all day long............ lets make a scenario........ a chicken in the oven, that is on, wrapped in foil mind you, isn't going to keep cool, it is going to heat up and keep the heat in the area where it is covering. let's make a bigger scenario, your room, windows covered in foil, the sun acts like a big oven. what is room going to do?

Before you start throwing around insults answer me this: have you actually ever tried it? Have you never seen sunblock screens for carwindows? Ever seen heatreflectors on satellites and spaceships? Ever used the sun as your barbeque, by laying the tin foil BENEATH the meat and using it to reflect?

Guess not.

That's what tinfoil is, it's a reflector. Eventhough it is a conductor, the rays are reflected before they are absorbed and conducted as heat. The tin foil on the windows is always nice and cool, no matter how long the sun's been on it all day.

That's because foil is a great reflector, meaning it insulates very well against radiative heat (as from the sun's rays). Your example of the oven is a very good example. But the reason the food inside cooks is because tin foil is a metal and thus a good conductor. Which means that when it comes into contact with anything else it will conduct the heat very efficiently, while preserving the form or juices of the food inside.


Jeez, didn't want to give you a physics lecture, sorry for that.
Anyways it works.

Miscellaneous fun fact:

Swiss authorities are planning to wrap mountain glaciers with tin foil this summer in an effort to stop them melting.

Carlo Danioth, head of mountain rescue services in Andermatt, said: "We will initially cover around 30,000 square feet on the upper Gurschen glacier at the beginning of May as a test."
Scientists hope that the high-tech foil will prevent the sun's rays from melting the ice in popular ski resorts during the summer months.

Glacier expert Martin Funk said: "The foil reflects almost all the sun's rays. That will sharply reduce the rate of melting."

And other resorts like Saas-Fee and Titlis and some Austrian glaciers have said that they plan to test similar schemes this summer.

Environmental groups have criticised the £45,000 plan at Andermatt as "absurd".

Raimund Rosewald, head of a landscape protection foundation, said: "We cannot stop the glaciers melting using foil."

[JacksonWarrior]

Fight fight fight! Yes the foil thing does make sense but Ive heard that some of the newer double+ paned windows will more or less explode if you do this as they are gas filled(usually argon). I guess as the gas heats it builds pressure as it expands and POW! glass shrapnel tearing through your flesh, blood everywere!!!! Seriously tho check with the manufacturer befrore you do that.

So what about keeping them in their cases. My WRMG stays in its case at all times and sure its not air tight or whatever but I like to think it helps especially with the dry ass winters we have in my area. BTW this winter, despite keeping my rosewood fingerboard oiled(lightly every 3 string changes/3 or 4 months) I had a couple frets raise from the climate change. It was bad enought that I had to raise the action a tad and on high E, anything past 19, the main problem fret, the note would fret out. Now that its warmed back up and its more humid, the damn things went back down enough to where its not a big problem. Still need to get that sorted out tho. Anyway, your concerns are viable, but like someone said, dont get too nuts about it. Ive seen other peoples guitars hang on walls all year round for years with no problems.

[Sanctuary]

Tin-foil hats? Nuff said. :ROTF:

[kelly user]

Love the Kelly! I'm a sucker for reverse sharks.



Before you start throwing around insults answer me this: have you actually ever tried it? Have you never seen sunblock screens for carwindows? Ever seen heatreflectors on satellites and spaceships? Ever used the sun as your barbeque, by laying the tin foil BENEATH the meat and using it to reflect?

Guess not.

That's what tinfoil is, it's a reflector. Eventhough it is a conductor, the rays are reflected before they are absorbed and conducted as heat. The tin foil on the windows is always nice and cool, no matter how long the sun's been on it all day.

That's because foil is a great reflector, meaning it insulates very well against radiative heat (as from the sun's rays). Your example of the oven is a very good example. But the reason the food inside cooks is because tin foil is a metal and thus a good conductor. Which means that when it comes into contact with anything else it will conduct the heat very efficiently, while preserving the form or juices of the food inside.


Jeez, didn't want to give you a physics lecture, sorry for that.
Anyways it works.

Miscellaneous fun fact:

yes, my brother does it all the time, trust me i know all about trying to keep the heat out, i am mexican, i live in south texas, which is damn close to the equator. each an every time he does i have to prove it to him that it doesn't wok, and that it looks ghetto. a simple alternative would be to buy wooden shutters.

car reflectors don't really work all that great, they are ment to block the rays of the sun from cooking your dash, not to keep the car cooler.