Gum rosin is an ingredient in printing inks, varnishes, adhesives (glues), medicines, chewing gum, soap, paper sizing, soda, and, in past times, sealing wax
In industry, rosin is the precursor to the flux used in soldering
The tin-lead solder commonly used in electronics has about 1% rosin as a flux core helping the molten metal flow and making a better connection
It's frequently seen as the burnt or clear residue around new soldering
Gum rosin is also extensively used for its friction-increasing capacity
Such uses include rosining the bows of stringed instruments such as violins, violas, cellos and basses to produce sound
For this purpose, extra substances such as gold and silver are sometimes added to the gum rosin for extra friction and/or disputable "tone improvements"
Ballet dancers sometimes rub their shoes in powdered gum rosin to reduce slipping before going on stage
Bull riders rub rosin on their rope and glove for additional grip
Baseball pitchers and ten-pin bowlers may have a small bag of powdered rosin nearby, to use on their throwing hand, for better control of the ball
Rock climbers, particularly still in Europe, use Rosin instead of chalk to increase the friction on their hands
The practice has fallen in disfavor in many places, especially the USA, because it is difficult to wash off and eventually polishes the holds so smooth as to be useless (without more rosin)
A mixture of pitch and gum rosin is used to make a surface against which glass is polished when making optical components such as lenses
In pharmaceuticals, rosin forms an ingredient in several plasters and ointments
Gum rosin is also added in small quantities to traditional linseed oil/sand gap fillers, used in building work
When mixed with waxes and oils, rosin is the main ingredient of mystic smoke, a gum which, when rubbed and suddenly stretched, appears to produce puffs of smoke from the finger tips
In industry, rosin is the precursor to the flux used in soldering
The tin-lead solder commonly used in electronics has about 1% rosin as a flux core helping the molten metal flow and making a better connection
It's frequently seen as the burnt or clear residue around new soldering
Gum rosin is also extensively used for its friction-increasing capacity
Such uses include rosining the bows of stringed instruments such as violins, violas, cellos and basses to produce sound
For this purpose, extra substances such as gold and silver are sometimes added to the gum rosin for extra friction and/or disputable "tone improvements"
Ballet dancers sometimes rub their shoes in powdered gum rosin to reduce slipping before going on stage
Bull riders rub rosin on their rope and glove for additional grip
Baseball pitchers and ten-pin bowlers may have a small bag of powdered rosin nearby, to use on their throwing hand, for better control of the ball
Rock climbers, particularly still in Europe, use Rosin instead of chalk to increase the friction on their hands
The practice has fallen in disfavor in many places, especially the USA, because it is difficult to wash off and eventually polishes the holds so smooth as to be useless (without more rosin)
A mixture of pitch and gum rosin is used to make a surface against which glass is polished when making optical components such as lenses
In pharmaceuticals, rosin forms an ingredient in several plasters and ointments
Gum rosin is also added in small quantities to traditional linseed oil/sand gap fillers, used in building work
When mixed with waxes and oils, rosin is the main ingredient of mystic smoke, a gum which, when rubbed and suddenly stretched, appears to produce puffs of smoke from the finger tips