McLube on keybeds (Was Re: [CAUT] Teaching Piano Tuning)

[amccoy@mail.ewu.edu]

I think sluggishness in actions is almost always a combination of small bits of
friction adding up. Tight cheekblocks make for a sluggish action, but tight
blocks and a rough keybed make the shift still more sluggish. That's why Eric
(and I and probably all of us) take the time to go through the actions
systematically- cleaning, smoothing, shaping and lubing (with as clean a lube
as we can find). Attention to those small details. 

Me? I use a clear teflon spray on the keybed after sanding it. Also on both ends
of the keyframe and the keyframe spring. It is a very clean lube. I do suspect
though that it may be the cleaning and smoothing that are often the most
important ingredient in dealing with sluggishness.

FWIW

Alan McCoy
Eastern Washington Univ


Quoting Mary Smith <marysmith@mail.utexas.edu>:

> Agreed that sluggishness comes more from hold-downs being too tight. But I 
> think lubing the glides decreases the drag that can occur when engaging the 
> shift. My current favorite product in "Prolube," available from Pianotek. 
> It goes on a bit messy, so keep a clean rag nearby to wipe up excess. But 
> it is wonderfully slick! I like it on trap levers, too. No squeaks....And 
> it doesn't smell!
> 
> Mary Smith
> 
> At 06:11 PM 11/13/2004 -0500, you wrote:
> 
> >Well, I usually wear dark pants so the Teflon powder really gets me! Ive 
> >always lubricated those parts but honestly cannot recall once in the last 
> >26 years that a squeak originated from the keybed or glidebolts. Its 
> >always somewhere else&sluggishness is almost always from the hold-downs 
> >being too tight.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >```````````````````````````````````
> >
> >Eric Wolfley
> >
> >Head Piano Technician
> >
> >College-Conservatory of Music
> >
> >University of Cincinnati
> >
> >````````````````````````````````````
> >
> >
> >
> >----------
> >From: McNeilTom@aol.com [mailto:McNeilTom@aol.com]
> >Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 5:37 PM
> >To: caut@ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: McLube on keybeds (Was Re: [CAUT] Teaching Piano Tuning)
> >
> >
> >
> >Greetings, Colleagues -
> >
> >
> >
> >I, for one, do not appreciate the use of graphite on the glide bolts or 
> >shift iron or keybed .  Inevitably, some of that #%@! ends up on my pants!
> >
> >
> >
> >- Tom McNeil -
> >Vermont Piano Restorations
> 
> 




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