Damp Action Drying

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Jim:

I finally decided to show up in this discussion of solutions for 
treating sluggish flanges.

When I worked for Baldwin, I came back from a trip all excited about
LPS #1. I went to our top Quality Control man who wasn't overly excited
about my find. He placed a spot of the solution on a blotter on a mild 
heating plate and waited until all of the carrier flashed off. Then 
he said to me: "this residue is what will eventually get you into 
trouble." He was aware of the Steinway parafin oil treatment and all the
ensuing problems years later. He is the one who invented the Methanol/
water/ivory soap combination for treatment of flanges. It works like 
this: the methanol (alcohol) thins the water and breaks down surface
tension so that the water can soak in completely and swell the bushing
cloth (Oh yes, it also slightly swells the wood of the flange too),
which causes the wool to fit the pin smoothly (like ironing), then the
water evaporates out, the wool shrinks, and the fit ends up with less
torque resistance. More water will shrink more. The Ivory soap helps
wash out impurities which may have remained after the bushing cloth was
thoroughly washed prior to flange making.

That's all I remember about the process. "That's all I have to say about
that."

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Sun, 21 Sep 1997 JIMRPT@aol.com wrote:

> 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)
>