[CAUT] slippery keys

[Douglas Wood]

Well, this is a timely one for me. I have just attempted to address a  
complaint of excessively slippery ivory. !

It's a 1987 S&S D with Kluge one-piece ivory. It had been scuffed  
quite a long time ago (before I started here), and has been just a  
bit unsatisfactory all this time. That is, the keytops were either  
clean and too slippery, or almost disturbingly dirty. (Sensibilities  
have gotten more sensitive with all the H1N1 hysteria...)

So I've been reflecting on this, and my current hypothesis is that  
the reason that ivory has this reputation of being just a bit tacky  
is not so much the ivory as the finish that's on it. Which is, I  
believe, bees-wax based buffing compound. So I have just buffed all  
the naturals. (Now I'm wondering if I should also buff the ebonies...)

I'm posting here in the hopes that some of you might be able to  
either corroborate or correct this line of thought. Anyone??

If this is so, then simply buffing any key with a bees-wax compound  
should make it feel much better. This has been my experience, and the  
experience of others (e. g. Barbara). The difference between ivory  
and plastic becomes a matter of how long the bees-wax finish persists.

I have heard that buffing the bees-wax changes the nature of the  
finish?? Anyone?? So just rubbing it on helps, but buffing might be  
better?

I will no doubt hear from the artist (one of our top-notch faculty  
members) after the Friday concert.

But in the meantime, perhaps someone actually knowledgeable about  
bees-wax, buffing, ivory and plastic can add to this?

Thanks.

Doug


*********************************
Doug Wood
Piano Technician
School of Music
University of Washington
dew2 at uw.edu

dougwood.pianoman at att.net
(206) 391-9613
*********************************

On Dec 7, 2009, at 9:49 AM, Richard Brekne wrote:

> A very thin polished layer of red cross country ski wax.
>
> Cheers
> RicB

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