Damp Action Drying

[Howard S. Rosen]

Jim,
This tech that has been gone 15 years....you said he used "mineral
spirits". What exactly was the stuff? Do you mean cleaning fluid like
naptha. Please clarify.

Howard S. Rosen, RPT
hsrosen@emi.net

----------
> From: JIMRPT@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re:  Re: Damp Action Drying
> Date: Sunday, September 21, 1997 7:03 PM
> 
> Susan, Warren, et al;
>   S&S did indeed dip  "some" of their flanges in a hot parrafin/tallow
after
> they were  bushed, I would assume from my examining many verdegris
bushings.
>  However they were not the only makers to do so in an attempt to solve
the
> problem of moisture related sluggishness/sticking.  Most often the
flanges to
> be treated such were the hammer flange and the rep lever flange.  Quite
often
> you will find an instrument with almost solidly stuck up flanges in one
place
> but absolutely free flanges in another.  
>   Any organic/petroleum based product will cause verdegris to form
including
> parrafin, tallow, mineral spirits, gasoline, mineral oil etc., etc..  In
my
> opinion it is not a question of 'if' it will form but rather 'when' it
will
> form.
>  There used to be a very excellent technician in town who swore by
mineral
> spirits as being "the thing" to use on pianos for lubrication.  This tech
> would "lubricate thoroughly" any action that made it to his shop.  Well
he
> has been dead about 15 years now and we are seeing more and more of his
> lubricated actions showing up with little green waxy growths coming out
from
> the centerpins in most of the flanges on the action...............
> This is a test to see if you were paying attention... :-) Where do you
think
> this green stuff is coming from, what is it , and why does it show up on
his
> customers pianos to a much greater extent than on others of similar make
age
> and condition?
>   Circumstantial??, perhaps so but it also is not coincidence Huh?
> Jim Bryant (FL)