WD40- Steinway B update

[Tom Servinsky]

List
Had some time to do some experimenting with this Steinway B which had the 
WD40 treatment. If you remember, the instrument was quite decent prior to 
the owner spraying WD40 everywhere. Now the tone and sustain is dead.
Many of your suggestions dealt with wood becoming soft, espeically in the 
bridge cap.  Some suggestions dealt with terminations be hampered. All good 
leads.
1. I cleaned with the termination points ( capo/ agraffe, bridge pins/bridge 
cap) on 5 notes throughout the piano.
Result- some clarity improvement, but no improvement in sustain.
Test - plucking the string only ( hammers also are damaged) and listening to 
the sustain and quality of tone.
2. Check bridge pinning. So loose they came out by hand with ease.
    Installed #8 bridge pins with longer profile
Result:  Increase in sustain by 5 seconds. Tone much fuller. Still not up to 
my expectations, but an improvement no less.
Some good news:   the wood on the bridge cap appeared very firm and not 
mushy.
My hunch is that once the board is stripped, sanded, and refinished, new 
bridge pins installed, new agraffes, and capo cleaned/shaped thoroughly, the 
sustain will improve dramatically.
I'll keep you posted.
Tom Servinsky