verdigris question

[David Ilvedson]

You would have to pull the action and remove a hammer, shank & flange
assembly.  This is what hits the string.  Look for at the center pin for a
greenish corrosion.  Try swinging the hammer/shank part while holding the
flange.  If it swings once/twice then stops and has the green color you've
got vertegri.  Protek can help but nothing will cure the problem except
replacing all moving parts.  If the old hammers are in good shape, they can
be reused with new shanks and flanges.  Wippens should be replaced but not
quite as critical.

David I.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
Of Pppdude@cs.com
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2000 10:25 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: verdigris question


I've come across an old S&S upright which I strongly suspect has a verdigris
problem, and a very severe one at that.

Basically, each and every key is sluggish, and many do not return at all to
their resting position after being played.  The instrument is not playable.
The owner says it just needs "a good cleaning".  I disagree.  I don't think
humidity is the problem either, since the climate around the piano is not
extreme, and the owner says the sticking problem does not seem to change
with
the seasons.

I am not a piano technician, so I'm interested to know if there is there is
an accurate way to diagnose this problem (without calling in a technician),
and if there are any new and exciting ways to treat this problem that I
could
suggest to the owner.

Does anybody know of any other possible causes of this instrument's misery?