Acetic Acid - Use in pianos????

[Kent Swafford]

Robert Goodale wrote:

>When I enherited this position at the university, along with other
>"interesting" disoveries I found a huge jar of "Acetic Acid" among the
>piano supplies; approximately half of a large one-gallon glass bottle.
>Apparently the former and now long-gone retired tech used it for
>"something" relating to pianos. For disolving glue perhaps???  Anyway,
>reading the warnings on the label in conjunction with the skull and
>cross-bones, I began to wonder what possible use one could have in piano
>technology for this stuff. 

I returned from vacation a year and half ago to find work in progress on 
a Steinway action at the University where I try to help out. The key 
bushings had been removed from a set of keys and the keys had been 
returned to their key frame. When I attempted to continue the work on the 
action, I discovered that the keys smelled of vinegar and that the key 
pins had badly corroded. In order to remove the keys from the key frame, 
I was forced to damage the balance rail holes as the keys slid over the 
corroded areas of the balance rail pins. I suspect that ascetic acid had 
been used to loosen the key bushings and then caused the corrosion when 
the keys were returned to the key frame while still moist with ascetic 
acid. I would suggest disposing of the ascetic acid.

By the way, does anyone know a source for the large diameter .16" balance 
rail pins?  :)

Kent Swafford