Oct 14, 2009: Rare Silk

xoxoxoBruce · 10-13-2009, 11:31 PM

Look at this beautiful, 11ft by 4ft, rare silk textile, on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

It's not old, it's brand new, although it took a bunch of people 4 years to create.
It's rare because the silk came from these guys...

Each Golden Orb spider, in Madagascar, donated about 80ft of filament per 'milking' (my term), and it takes them a couple weeks to recover.

Quote:

Peers came up with the idea of weaving spider silk after learning about the French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1880s and 1890s. Camboué built a small, hand-driven machine to extract silk from up to 24 spiders at once, without harming them.

“Simon managed to build a replica of this 24-spider-silking machine that was used at the turn of the century,” said Nicholas Godley, who co-led the project with Peers. As an experiment, the pair collected an initial batch of about 20 spiders. “When we stuck them in the machine and started turning it, lo and behold, this beautiful gold-colored silk started coming out,” Godley said.

The textile weighs 2.6 pounds, and it takes about 14,000 spiders to produce 1oz of thread, which means... Oww, my head hurts.
But of course, some spiders were caught and 'milked' more than once, over the years.

Quote:

Unlike silk worms, which are easy to raise in captivity, spiders have a habit of chomping off each other’s heads when housed together.
To get as much silk as they needed, Godley and Peers began hiring dozens of spider handlers to collect wild arachnids and carefully harness them to the silk-extraction machine. “We had to find people who were willing to work with spiders,” Godley said, “because they bite.”

Oh, and they only produce silk during the rainy season, October to June.
Hey

, the season is just starting, anybody want a job?

link

ZenGum · 10-14-2009, 02:43 AM

As well as beautiful, it is three times stronger than kevlar, and can stretch by 40%. Imagine the outfit you could make from that stuff; the ultimate spiderman suit.

Different link (AMNH)

capnhowdy · 10-14-2009, 07:05 AM

Careful! That's bug abuse.

spudcon · 10-14-2009, 07:29 AM

Spider abuse! Oh, the humanity! Call PETA! Call Hollywood!

birdclaw · 10-14-2009, 09:04 AM

Really that's the best use we could come up with for spider silk? Well I guess we could start outfitting our soldiers and policemen in lovely blankets.

Shawnee123 · 10-14-2009, 10:11 AM

Picture NSFA

(not safe for arachnophobes)

xoxoxoBruce · 10-14-2009, 10:46 AM

I wonder if those Golden Orb spiders, produce gold thread in other parts of the world?

Slothboy · 10-14-2009, 11:10 AM

HELL.
NO.

Don't want to look at that, touch the finished product, go near the spiders, or hav anything further to do with this whole affair. Good day!

I SAID GOOD DAY!

Cloud · 10-14-2009, 02:45 PM

(shudder)

BTW, silk worms are pretty ugly, too. But at least they don't bite. ack! or, make that, eek!

newtimer · 10-14-2009, 04:17 PM

"...French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1880s and 1890s."

Ah, the good old days, when missionaries worked for a living and invented neat stuff. That would be a good position to be in.

Shawnee123 · 10-14-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slothboy

HELL.
NO.

Don't want to look at that, touch the finished product, go near the spiders, or hav anything further to do with this whole affair. Good day!

I SAID GOOD DAY!

I snorted out loud!

spudcon · 10-14-2009, 04:55 PM

I agree with Slothboy. Squash all those yucky little cannibals.

ZenGum · 10-14-2009, 06:35 PM

I sneer disdainfully at you spider haters.

Okay, you have some irrational fear of them, fine, but that is your problem and is best dealt with by you avoiding spiders.

Spiders are perfectly okay in their own right, perform many useful functions for the rest of the world (keeping flies down, eg) and, IMHO can be very beautiful and fascinating.

[/rant]

jinx · 10-14-2009, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Spiders are perfectly okay in their own right, perform many useful functions for the rest of the world (keeping flies down, eg) and, IMHO can be very beautiful and fascinating.

Yeah, but not in my house - because I squish the nasty bastards.

dar512 · 10-14-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx

Yeah, but not in my house - because I squish the nasty bastards.

I have a treaty (that they don't always honor). If they stay out of the house and away from me, I don't squish 'em. If they wander into my territory, I unleash the deadly stomp on 'em.

And then I waterboard 'em for good measure.

10-14-2009, 02:43 AM	#2
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	As well as beautiful, it is three times stronger than kevlar, and can stretch by 40%. Imagine the outfit you could make from that stuff; the ultimate spiderman suit. Different link (AMNH) __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

10-14-2009, 07:05 AM	#3
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Careful! That's bug abuse. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

10-14-2009, 07:29 AM	#4
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	Spider abuse! Oh, the humanity! Call PETA! Call Hollywood! __________________ "I believe that being despised by the despicable is as good as being admired by the admirable."

10-14-2009, 09:04 AM	#5
birdclaw putting the "g" in flight Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 145	Really that's the best use we could come up with for spider silk? Well I guess we could start outfitting our soldiers and policemen in lovely blankets. __________________ “The difference between a man and a boy is, a boy wants to grow up to be a fireman, but a man wants to grow up to be a giant monster fireman.”

10-14-2009, 10:11 AM	#6
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Picture NSFA (not safe for arachnophobes) __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

10-14-2009, 10:46 AM	#7
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I wonder if those Golden Orb spiders, produce gold thread in other parts of the world? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

10-14-2009, 11:10 AM	#8
Slothboy *No known superpowers. Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 48	HELL. NO. Don't want to look at that, touch the finished product, go near the spiders, or hav anything further to do with this whole affair. Good day! I SAID GOOD DAY! __________________ Super perfundo on the early eve of your day.

10-14-2009, 02:45 PM	#9
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	(shudder) BTW, silk worms are pretty ugly, too. But at least they don't bite. ack! or, make that, eek! __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

10-14-2009, 04:17 PM	#10
newtimer Operations Operative Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 479	"...French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1880s and 1890s." Ah, the good old days, when missionaries worked for a living and invented neat stuff. That would be a good position to be in.

10-14-2009, 04:55 PM	#12
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	I agree with Slothboy. Squash all those yucky little cannibals. __________________ "I believe that being despised by the despicable is as good as being admired by the admirable."

10-14-2009, 06:35 PM	#13
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	I sneer disdainfully at you spider haters. Okay, you have some irrational fear of them, fine, but that is your problem and is best dealt with by you avoiding spiders. Spiders are perfectly okay in their own right, perform many useful functions for the rest of the world (keeping flies down, eg) and, IMHO can be very beautiful and fascinating. [/rant] __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

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