Document zQz8KyO8jqdkbbwZNjr9qwgKn

3LSP-JML GYPSUM CCHPAEX fi 3/T3 Paoli October 25, 1957 Mr. C. G. Shuttleworth Paoli Laboratory ACOUSTIC 'X PLASTER cc: Messrs. C. E. Abbey - Ardmore 0. F. Grieve - Paoli R. E. Schilling - Dallas C. F. Steubing - Houston Ed Carpenter - Dallas H. J. Zelns - Acme G. A. Hoggatt - Paoli yh Two ton shipments of our new acoustical plaster were made to Dallas and Houston the latter part of August for further field tests before putting it on the market. Arrangements were made for me to observe these tests. On October 7 Mr. Ed Carpenter and I went to the Asbury Methodist Church, Marsalis and Ann Arbor Streets, Dallas for the first test. Spawn and Collawn, Inc. had the plastering contract. Hr. Joe Spawn was on the job and they had started applying the acoustical plaster. It was being applied by hand over a standard gypsum base coat which had been allowed to dry amply. They were having considerable trouble! due to the acoustical plaster being short working. There were numerous drop-outs and when they tried to rod or darby it would tear and at times pull the plaster off the ceiling. It was apparent that something must be done or the plaster couldn't be used. The previous week when making panels in Chicago for sound absorption tests, using acoustical plaster from Fort Dodge, It was noticeable that it too was short worldng so this was not completely unexpected. At the time it was not known what caused this condition as the Fort Dodge material had worked satisfactory on a large school in St. Louis and Acme material, 3ame as being used, had worked satisfactory on a monastery in Jackson, Hiss. The only difference was both of those jobs were done with fresh plaster and that used at Chicago and being used at Dallas had been bagged for two months or more. In order to try to use the plaster we purchased two bags of bentonite clay and added a small amount to each batch in the mixer. Each batch was mixed 10 - 12 minutes which gave reasonably good distribution of the clay which was added. After some experimenting we finally wound up adding approximately five percent clay by weight but there was some variation in working properties from batch to batch due to not getting tfca clay thoroughly mixed in. We were unable to mix oar 12 minutes as it would have slowed the job up too much. Most batches with clay added worked very well and there wore no drop-outs. If we could have gotten proper distribution of the clay probably three percent would have been ample to make it work satisfactory. The plaster was used by adding clay the rest of that day. Cne-half the auditorium was done and all the classrooms. The first which was applied before we got there was removed and redone. All the basecoat acoustical left to be dona was one-half the auditorium. The next day Mr. Spawn did it with Zonolite acoustical. He was afraid to use any more of ours on the auditorium ceiling as he had had so much trouble in the beginning that the basecoat was not too smooth in a few places. He prefers Zonolite to any perlite acoustical because he soys it slicks up better. continued SGp 0018707 Dallas Sales Oct A 29/ 1957 General Sales Mr. R. B. Schilling ACOUSTICAL PLASTER C. B. Abbey - cvc CCt Mr. C. G. Shuttleworth - Paoll You have a copy of Mr. Watt's memorandum of October 25 to Mr. Shuttleworth covering his time'down In your sales dlstrlot. I only want to remind you that In accordance with the way Mr. Watt left it, we are to hear something shortly from Bd Carpenter about the Job where they were going to spray some of the acoustical plaster as a second or finish coat on the Dallas job. We were also to hear something from Mr. Steubing when he has located someone who will try the acoustical plaster that was down there and use It. Zt would appear that we have a problem to solve before we will be able to successfully promote this acoustical plaster. Please try to advise us from your end as quickly as possible when you have any Information available. OCT 30 1957 r SGP 0018710