Center Pin Lube

[Robin Blankenship]

Ted,
A colleague of mine uses starter fluid (ether) to initially freeup stubborn
centers. Then follows up with Protek. Without the second step, the
sluggishness returns.  If you will email me privately, I would be happy to
go into greater detail.
Robin
----- Original Message -----
From: Ted Simmons <ted@brevard.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 1999 12:27 PM
Subject: Center Pin Lube


>On Friday morning our local newspaper had a Quick Fix hint that stirred my
>curiosity.  It said "To remove sticky substances, even gum, from carpet or
>fabric, use brake cleaner.  It is the same chemical dry cleaners use.  This
>is also great for removing auto grease from carpet or clothing."  I
>wondered if it would work on sluggish center pins.  So I bought an aerosol
>can of it to experiment with.  I have 2 Steinway shank/flange assemblies
>that were so sluggish that I could hold the flange in my fingers and the
>shank stuck straight out.  I sprayed the brake cleaner on the flanges and
>let it soak for a few minutes.  In no time at all the flange was free and
>the shank swung freely.  That was Friday evening and it's now Sunday and
>the flange still moves freely.  I know this is not what one would consider
>a test of time so I'll let this sit for a week or 2 and see what happens.
>It would be a good idea if others did a similar experiment to back up the
>results.  The WD-40 craze of the 60's and 70's for center pins was a dud,
>so I'm leary of using this stuff.
>
>The brake cleaner I used was Prestone Heavy Duty Brake Parts Cleaner with
>fast dry high performance formula.  The ingredients are Acetone, Heptane,
>Xylene, Ethylbenzene, and Propane.  Got it from Wal-mart.  It is extremely
>flammable and should be used in a well-ventilated area. (I think I just
>scared myself from using it again)
>
>Ted Simmons
>Merritt Island, FL
>
>