Center Pin Goop

[Sarah Fox]

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Hi Terry,

>Newish Hyundai grand.
>- What is this stuff?

Hyundai?  My vote would be brake fluid, with a trace of lithium grease =
for color.  ;-)

Seriously, if what Joe suggests is correct (graphite + WD-40 or =
something oil-based, probably with a lot of wool dust mixed in), then =
maaaaaybe you can solve (or at least substantially alleviate it) by =
soaking the whole thing in some sort of solvent (acetone, naptha, =
mineral spirits) to flush out the oil-base goop, even if it leaves =
behind the graphite (which wouldn't gum up the action by itself).  A =
good soaking would wash out the oils both from the surface of the pin, =
the bushing cloth, and the surrounding wood.  *Then* remove a pin and =
see what you've got.  It certainly couldn't hurt to try it, before =
making enormous investments of time and money.  If the problem returns =
after a few years (or 20,000 miles), then consider replacement.

BTW, a good test of any prospective solvent would be to swish a gunky =
centerpin around in it and see if the gunk *easily* comes off (with no =
wiping or scrubbing).  If so, then *that's* the stuph you need to use =
for soaking.

Oh, and in my humble opinion from my *vast* experience experience in =
this field <grin>, repinning alone isn't going to do diddly, because the =
junk is obviously in the bushing too.  All that a repinning job will do =
is to get your client mad at you when it fails.  ;-)

Good luck!  :-)

Peace,
Sarah

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Terry=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 9:13 AM
  Subject: Re: Center Pin Goop


  Yeah, I'm aware of that. I don't have any reason to think this is the =
same verdigris-stuff that attacks Steinways. It is not green at all, and =
I had no Christmas trees growing out from the action centers (ever see =
that - it looks so cool - as long as it is not your piano!).

  But your point is well taken - who knows, this stuff might come back =
even after a rebushing. I think I'll just give the owner two options - =
repinning (with lots of warnings about no guarantees for more than a =
week or so) or replacement.

  Thanks.

  Terry Farrell


  > Terry wrote:
  > >
  > >> - Do I need to rebush (like the US is doing today - oh, no I =
couldn't=20
  > >> do that!)?
  >=20
  > Willis Snyder always insisted that the Steinway verdigris-producing=20
  > contaminant was leached into the wood, and would return even if they =

  > rebushed. He had high magnification photos of the wool fibers and =
pins=20
  > to illustrate his findings, probably twenty years ago.
  >=20
  > Patrick Draine

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