[CAUT] Grease/Oil on upright pressure bar

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Andrew,
     Probably the only way to remove the grease would be to lower  
pitch enough to fit a rag between strings and pressure bar. I would  
use a rag dipped in a solvent like mineral spirits and rung out, and  
work it back and forth between strings and pressure bar, then fish it  
between strings and v-bar. Do a couple unisons at a time. Experiment,  
see if it is working for you. You might also want to check to see  
that whoever lubed it didn't also loosen the pressure bar screws. See  
it there seems to be a reasonable angle of string between speaking  
length and the part going under the bar. With as little friction as  
you describe, I would get suspicious.
     A somewhat similar situation arises with spills of soda,  
especially of the cola varieties. A bit of the sticky stuff gets  
between strings and v-bar, with an amazingly deadening effect. If you  
don't manage to wipe the under side of the string, as well as the  
bar, you won't solve the problem. In that case, a damp rag is  
necessary. I've fooled with Q-tips, brushes, moving strings back and  
forth, and come to the conclusion that unless you actually physically  
rub between the string and the bar, you won't get it all. Agraffes  
are worse, because you can't easily remove the string, though you can  
move the sticky part of the string out of the agraffe.
     Which is the answer to a question you didn't ask, but at least  
it's a question I know an answer for <g>.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu



On Oct 7, 2005, at 6:35 AM, Andrew Anderson wrote:

> Most do have evidence of lubricant to a greater or lesser degree.   
> The one that was the worst, so far, had terrible unisons when I got  
> to it. (I think the lubricant got all the way to the bridge in the  
> treble.)
>
> The pin block is tight, the pins are "springy".  The average  
> humidity is 60% Rh right now.  In Laredo there aren't any mountains  
> between us and the cost so it doesn't get terribly dry relative- 
> humidity-wise.   Think south-Texas.
>
> So, this is a foreign substance.  What is the least damaging way to  
> get it out?  I've mentally debated trickling various solvents down  
> the wires over the bar into a rag below.  I don't like that idea.   
> Another that came to mind is using the heat gun to mobilize it with  
> heat and forced air out of that position.  That also has its  
> drawbacks, maybe less so than the first idea.  Anyone have tested  
> ideas or want to hazard some opinions?
>
> PRN =/= as needed
> TAMIU = Texas A & M International University
>
> Andrew Anderson
>
>
> At 07:59 PM 10/6/2005, you wrote:
>
>> Sorry for my ignorance but explain:   PRN?   TAMIU?   If all of  
>> the Bostons, or majority of them have this stuff...sounds like  
>> someone lubed them.   The factory isn't going put something in the  
>> piano that attracts dust/dirt.   These are basically Kawais.   You  
>> could have dried out pinblocks...Texas.   Seems to me Avery can  
>> talk you through this...
>>
>> David I.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original message ----------------------------------------
>> From: "Andrew Anderson" <andrew@andersonmusic.com>
>> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
>> Received: 10/6/2005 5:24:07 PM
>> Subject: [CAUT] Grease/Oil on upright pressure bar
>>
>>
>> >Hi,
>> >I'm tuning on a PRN basis for TAMIU here in Laredo.  They finally
>> >decided their black cages full of warbling songbirds and howling
>> >seals needed a little discipline.  (The grands are better, 50 to 80
>> >cents sharp on the top octave though, every piano.)
>>
>> >They have a bunch of Boston uprights (UP-125 II)  that are proving
>> >quite annoying.  There is very little discernable friction between
>> >the tuning pin and the speaking portion of the wire.  I got
>> >suspicious, went to the restroom and got some white paper.  Swiped
>> >the wires, yellow stuff, swiped the underside of the pressure bar,
>> >more yellow stuff.  Not very thick, but collecting dust anyway.   
>> When
>> >I massaged the wires with the beat suppressor after the first pitch
>> >correction pass I noticed that the wires were collecting a little
>> >dust too, sticky. ... These are fairly new pianos, couple years  
>> at most.
>>
>> >When I say low-friction, I mean I can put my little hammer vertical
>> >on a pin and walk a unison above and below tune without stressing  
>> my pinky.
>>
>> >Is this normal?  Making unisons stable is a bit of a chore.  No
>> >wonder they were warbling & howling.  Do they come from the factory
>> >this way? or did one of the past piana toonas oil everything up?
>>
>> >Over lubricated in Laredo,
>> >Andrew
>>
>> >_______________________________________________
>> >caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>> _______________________________________________
>> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>