[CAUT] Experiment success!

[David Porritt]

Paul:

 

I've used fabric softener on hammers where there was no other choice and it
worked quite well.  I haven't seen any green stuff, nor any corrosion on
strings.  I have used a hair dryer to make sure the hammers were dry before
I used them.  I wouldn't want to put the wet stuff on the strings though I
don't have any experience doing that.  It just seemed unnecessary.

 

On the older instruments - bring them on!  Compare the cost of rebuilding vs
replacing and your administrators will think you're a hero.  The piano
dealer probably won't.  Good pianos made with good materials and rebuilt by
competent rebuilders is both less expensive and produces better instruments.
That's our plan.

 

dave

 

____________________

David M. Porritt, RPT

dporritt at smu.edu

  _____  

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T
Williams
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 4:37 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Experiment success!

 


Maybe it's just the lack of testing on strings.  I will uncover the string,
still in the goo and see what happens.  It does dry and I have put it on at
the end of the day.  Maybe that could be a factor.  It is really interesting
to see the different opinions on it.  Do the hammers wear out faster with
it? Does dry softener still have an effect on the string? Is the hammer felt
doomed to fall apart for lack of proper tension? Or are we just flirting
with disaster?  Perhaps if schools of music would just realize that more
work has to be done to pianos than they thought, maybe funding changes might
occur?  I doubt that would happen! 

 Let us all rally to further educate our schools and faculty that pianos
wear out.  I'm working with a piano older than my father (b. 1922).  I think
the makers of this fine instrument would be amazed that it lasted this long,
let alone that it has been played 10 -1 2 hours per day for the last 20
years or more!  Any more thoughts are surely welcome! 

Thanks 

Paul 





Jeff Tanner <jtanner at mozart.sc.edu> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org 

04/03/2007 03:26 PM 


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Re: [CAUT] Experiment success!

 


 

 





On Apr 3, 2007, at 3:32 PM, Willem Blees wrote: 

Jeff 

You'll find no corrosion on the wire. Corrosion happens when metal is  
exposed to moisture AND air. So for your experiment to work, dampen  
the wire with Downy and let it just sit there. But I'm afraid that  
will not give you the results you're looking for anyway. It's the  
moisture in the Downey that causes the wire to corrode. Not  
necessarily the chemicals.  

Wim  


I just remember there was some discussion that Downy shouldn't be used
around the piano wire because of corrosion that was allegedly attributed to
it.  It is very possible that there are also acids in the Downy that could
instigate corrosion.  I'm no chemist, and I don't know.  I just recall the
discussion and the conclusion was to recommend against using fabric
softener.   
Jeff 


Jeff Tanner, RPT 
University of South Carolina 




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