[CAUT] Steinway Technical

[Fred Sturm]

On Aug 3, 2006, at 12:52 PM, Jeff Tanner wrote:

> Well, I don't use it and never have.  I've always just been leery  
> of it, because every lubricant I've ever used that goes on wet,  
> eventually gets tacky with age, and I believe I've heard other  
> technicians testify that they've had similar results using wet  
> lubricants like McLube and Protek on pins.
Hi Jeff,
	Mclube definitely won't get tacky with age or leave a gummy residue.  
The wet portion is purely a vehicle, and it flashes off rapidly,  
leaving a thin coating. You can see that happen when you apply it. I  
put some in a 1 oz hypo oiler from Schaff (with the red, rubber cap  
for the needle), thinking I'd like to carry some around with me  
rather than constantly be going back to the shop for it. I had had  
good luck with acetone/keytop staying in those hypos without undue  
evaporation, but the McLube was evaporated away in a very short time  
(maybe I didn't have the lid quite tight enough). Anyway, what was  
left in the bottom was a mm or so of hard, white substance, very  
similar to what I scavenged as a sample from the Steinway vats where  
they dip flanges. Inert, slippery, no way it would ever be gummy.  
Hard, semi-brittle plastic is how I would describe it.
	I am sold on McLube for keypins, capstans, glides, keyframe and  
keybed friction points, keyframe return spring, damper wires, under  
side of damper underlevers, etc, etc. Great stuff, and well worth the  
wee bit of time it takes to apply with a rag or a brush. Lasts well,  
doesn't attract any dirt. Not good stuff to be inhaling all the time,  
but otherwise, I love it. I won't vouch the same for Protek CPL or  
for ProLube, though I do use both all the time with generally good  
results.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



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