[CAUT] S&S Key Bushings/ lubricants

[Jim Busby]

Ric,

Back to a comment I made weeks ago. Prolube has no solvent like CLP does. I've found that CLP does react to white glues like wood molding glue. We used to use CLP on bushings, but found that if we didn't allow the glue to dry completely (24 hours or so) sometimes the bushings came out! I figured it must be the solvent (the C in the CLP) so we now use Prolube only (Just the PL w/o the C). The keys did get sticky with the CLP but not with the Prolube, in our experience here. Many people just use "Protek" and don't know the difference between the two and I think it is bigger than we thought. But... I agree with you that the powdered Teflon works better anyway. No one has mentioned Goose Juice, and I think it is as good or better than Prolube. I don't know if it has the "solvent" in it or not.

Regards,
Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Richard Brekne
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 2:13 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] S&S Key Bushings

Lots of methods here... thats to be sure.  Chris mentioned something in
Esberg about a list compiled by one of our members that deals with
different kinds of lubricants... which ones do and dont go well
together.  The S&S bushing thing was the subject matter.

For myself, I like to stick first and formost to cleaned and polished
pins and a bit of telfon powder brushed into the bushings. This seems to
work for just about any kind of bushing around and stays slick as grease
going through a goose for several years.  I use something akin to a pipe
cleaner to apply. I used to use liquid lubricants  like prolube but
found a couple pianos that started getting sticky after a while. Seems
to be something that reacts to some bushing material.  One never really
knows whats been done before so teflon in powder form seems the best bet
to me. Doesn't really have a chance to react with anything else.

Cheers
RicB