Document qaoyZEQ92jLo1eEXpxDMwKbQK

PICO TEXTURES EEXIO TO: r. R. Miller W. Moore Pickens PROM: Pan Murphy February 24, 1972 SUBJECT: PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT No. 4. 1/22/72 to 2/23/72 5525 M TAPING COMPOUND 1. m reports with this product have been good with occasional adverse commenta about the small soft lumps. This product has been improved to the point that it mixes easy and none of the lumps get as far as showing up on the wall. Additional work jrith this product during the report period, in an effort to elimi nate the lumps, has been futile without changing the entire makeup of the product. Work will continue and Z feel that these lumps can be eliminated by Summer. 5535 B FINISHING COMPOUND 1* 5535B Finishing Compound field trials have been successful but I personally feel that this product is cot up to our usual standard of quality and although we can sell it for the time being, I feel that we will have an improved 5535B for field testing in about two weeks. The only thing I don't like currently with the 5535B is that it rewets too easily under paint, wall texture and acoustic. There doesn't appear to be any Immediate danger of problems with this characteristic now. The lab work is almost complete on an improved formula, however a delay in receiving a raw material is what is holding further progress up. 5565 V VAT& TEXTURE ! Field tests on the 5565D product continue to be very good* X>oug Merrill and I sprayed two rooms upstairs in the remodeling addition with satisfactory results on both rooms. This product appears at least equal in quality to the 5565C and is 360 per 25# bag cheaper than the C product. Current branch cost on the 5565D is $1*26 for 25# bags and S2.46 for 50# bags. If success with this product continues, I would suggest expanding it's use to the Kirkland and Ontario markets. 5515 M AIL PURPOSE 1* At the time we introduce the new improved 5535B Finish ing compound we will also be ready to introduce a new 5515M All Purpose Compound. This product will be approxi mately the same branch cost as the 5525M Taping and 5535B finishing. 42 122 Paco Project Progress Report February 24, 1972 2 ' DOW CASED? REPLACH1EWT 1. During the past reporting period two Dow representatives from Midland, Michigan came in' with their latest casein re placement. Evaluation of this product in the lab as a sole binder in some joint compound formulas revealed this raw material did not perform as well as the binder systems we are currently using. It is much more expensive and there re quality problems still-with some small jells that never do go fuUy into solution. - Is time allows, we will continue evaluation of this material as a partial replacement for casein. HEW RAW MATERIAL SFAIDATIOirs 1. In view of the hard look that is being taken at Asbestos, w* have started to look at .other fibres as a replacement for asbestos and also we have started to look at eliminat ing asbestos as a raw material in our formulations. During the past reporting period, only one fibre was evaluated as a possible asbestos substitute. This material had completely different properties than asbestos and results are so far inconclusive. Testing of these new fibres and further work with eliminating asbestos will continue as time will allow. 2. Additional Casein replacements have been received within the last two weeks. Tests have been started on several and three or four look promising, although nothing conclus ive has been found to date. Some show properties we are looking for and separate reports will be issued if progress warrants. FIELD JOB YISITS 1. Walt Pickens, Doug Merrill and the writer all visited and spent considerable, time at the Builder Boyd job in Sunnyvile during this past period. Al" Vierra is the dry wall . contractor on the job and we were working with him on some of our new products. We had the 5535B Finishing Compound applied on this job along with the 5565D Wall Texture. We saw the 5565D Wall Texture sprayed over both the 5535B Finishing Compound and the 5535A Finishing Compound. There didn't appear to be any difference in wipe down over the two products. On this same job the 637311 Acoustic was spray ed over the 5535B Finishing Compound. The writer, using KeXly-Moore's 550 Bone paint painted two walls in this building complex. One wall was where the 5565C Wall Texture was sprayed over the 5535B Finishing Compound. The other wall was where the 5565D Wall Texture was sprayed over the 5535A Finishing Compound. Both walls were acceptable when dry and both painted equally easy. 42 123 -3Paeo Project Progress Report February 24, 1972 FEW PRODUCT REQUESTS 1. Walt Pickens has continued to report that Ms biggest selling problem continues to be the USG Ready hit products. These products are being marketed virtually pock mark free. Vests during this past reporting period included evaluating the pock marks of our own products versus those in the USG Soducts as well as making minor formula changes In produeon batches In an attempt to improve the problem of the pock marks. We think we have found the USG supplier of the copolymer they are using in this product and have contacted them* 1 representative of this company is to call on us this week, but so far hasn't done so. During the rest of this week a study will be made on our manufacturing pro cedures and techniques in making ready mix* Early next week I will give Doug Merrill a written list of steps I feel we will have to take to eliminate pock marks in our ready mix products. The biggest drawback to solving this problem with lab batches is that we can't duplicate the nixing procedure of the ready mix mixers in the lab. Ue will try different mixing methods and techniques in an effort to induce the pock marking in the lab batches. 2* York has continued in the lab in an effort to develope a lower cost acoustic. I feel we will be ready in about one week with a formula based on our current 6373H that will have a branch cost of about $2.00 per 31# bag. Ap proximately 8O5S of the lab work in the next few days will be devoted to the two above mentioned products with the majority of that time being devoted to the ready mix pock ark problem. BUf/lo 42 121