Lighter Fluid WD40

[Sid Blum]

Lighter fluid is naptha

sid



>A local tech has taken to using "lighter fluid" to loosen actions, and he
>has said numerous times it works at least as well as Protek.  Any others
>tried this with or without success?
>les bartlett
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of Randy Chastain
>Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 9:22 AM
>To: Pianotech List
>Subject: Re: WD40
>
>Have you ever tried brake cleaner in extreme cases?
>
>Randy C
>
>
>On 7/19/07 6:43 AM, "David Boyce" <David at piano.plus.com> wrote:
>
>>  On Monday I tuned the old birdcage upright of a work colleague.  This
>>  is the sole piano on which I have ever used WD40 on the action.
>>
>>  I first tuned it about eight years ago. When I came to it, the action
>>  was extremely sluggish, with notes just not repeating, and keys staying
>down.
>>  When I pulled the action out to look at the centres, I found that at
>>  some time in the past, the centres had all had been oiled.
>>  Moving a hammer flange with my finger, it moved with an evil slow
>>  oleaginous resistance. I  could see sludge around the bushings.
>>
>>  What to do?  The piano was cetainly not worth repinning and rebushing. 
>>  I suggested to my colleague and her husband that, as the piano was
>>  virtually unplayable as it was, I could try WD40 to see if it would
>>  re-liquify the old oil that had dried to varnish consistency, and at
>>  least get the action moving, presuming that the wood of the flanges had
>not swollen.
>>
>>  They agreed to try this.  It was spectacularly sucessful.  I had to do
>>  a large pitch raise, so went back in a few days to fine tune, and
>>  advised them to let the kids and their friends play as much as
>>  possible.  The action completely freed up!  And, free it has remained
>>  in the years since, with no fiurther applications needed.
>>
>>  So, while I would never ever in normal circumstances put WD40 near an
>>  action, in this case it did just what was needed.
>>
>>  David.
>>
>>
>
>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.9/907 - Release Date: 07/18/2007
>3:30 PM
>


-- 
Sid Blum
sid at sover.net