Speaking of WD40....

[Paul McCloud]

Here in San Diego, we had a "tech" who liked to lube everything, bridge
pins, bearing bars, underfelt, etc. with oil.  Sometimes he used
Slick-50 or other oil additives.  It killed the tone.  Dead.  Oil
softens the wood and felt and deteriorates it.  I'd look at recapping
the bridge.  Good luck.
	Paul McCloud
	San Diego

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Tom Servinsky
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:49 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Speaking of WD40....

List,
Got a real interesting situation with a Steinway B which has been in my
care 
for the past 20 yrs. The piano was a pretty decent B, even though  it
was 
built during prime CBS years. The board had plenty of power and sustain
and 
the piano was kept in good condition . Then one day it all changed for
the 
worse.
I was about to do the tuning when I noticed the soundboard had a very 
different amber color to it. Then to my attonishment, there was no 
sustain...zilch. It was about that time when the owner's husband stepped

into the living room and announced that he fixed the piano. "Huhhh?"
"Yep, sprayed WD40 everywhere". I almost had a heart attack. The wife
was a 
piano teacher and she was sickened with what he had done. From that
point it 
soundboard more like an Aeolian spinet than a Steinway B.
So fast forward some 15yrs and the owner passes and wils the piano to
the 
local college. Now the college wants the board  repaired as best as
possible 
without replacing it.
Question: Can WD40 penetrate the finish on the soundboard? Or will it
just 
lay on top can create a residue, which is what I am hoping. My hopes is
that 
( once) the soundboard is stripped and the thick layer of gooh removed,
the 
soundboard will come back to life.Anyone out there with any experience
with 
this type of problem?
Just for the record I have isolated the problem to the soundboard. I
have 
replaced several strings and did a pluck test to see if I can gain any 
sustain and nothing much improves. I've replaced hammers on those same
notes 
seeing if anything can be improve. But it still points back to the thick

layer of gooh on the soundboard. Plenty of crown and positive
downbearing as 
well.
Tom Servinsky