Spray with "Super Clean", "Purple Power" or whatever sort of water-soluble ultra-strong degreaser ( wear respirator, goggles and gloves----and rubber boots !!! ) is available from your auto parts/ auto paint store. Let sit a minute, wipe with non-scratch ( blue ) Scotch-Brite (TM) or terry cloth, blast with hose, wipe dry, place in dry area, out of sun. What looks like old motor oil will come off of it, and you'll suddenly feel all fresh, happy and clean inside !!!! ( And smile--I guarantee it !!! ) A LOT of the disgusting, reeking crap from inside old pianos can be removed this way: with no apparent effect on the parts, AS LONG as you dry them off quickly ( I like paper towells ) and then let them dry thoroughly, out of the sun ( to avoid warpage ). As for the holes in the rail: as far as I'm concerned, there may be some benefit in a slight swelling of compacted wood there. I do wooden action rails this way, too, ( and keyframes ) but also scrub them in the direction of the grain with a cheap brass pot-washing brush from the grocery store. You'd be AMAZED at how much nicer they get ! ( And then, when they're dry, I put soda straws over the keyrail pins, and lacquer the things: sealing in residual odors ( mouse pee/pheremones being the hardest to fully eliminate ) and assuring that the next bloke ( or blokesse ) dealing with this, 100 years hence ( if there is 100 years hence on this planet ) will have an easier go with it !!! Keys, too can be cleaned like this: but first drill tiny holes through the buttons, and tap in stainless steel brads, to keep them from slipping around if their glue softens. Fill a tool box with the cleaner, dunk the key, let sit a minute or two, scrub with pot brush, blast with hose ( including right up into the mortises: thereby reemoving built up crap, and loosening the busings ) pick out bushings, install Spurlock sizing cauls, dry with paper towells, put on rack ( with raised edges to keep keys from sitting on damp bottoms ) let dry pout of sun. My only caution here is that you might want to let the sharps dry thoroughly , then size the inside of the tips with thin CA, then wet again before putting in sizing cauls to keep the thin wood there from developing hairline cracks fraom the sizing cauls. Thump P.S. If you think I'm totally nuts: kindly consider that I know of other techs who've successfuly used these methods on dozens of instruments for years. --- "William R. Monroe" <pianotech at a440piano.net> wrote: > Hi Folks, > > Have an old S&S. Complete action rebuild. Action > rails and brackets are > DIRTY. Suggestions on cleaning?? > > Thanks 88 times. > William R. Monroe > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
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