Boiling/treating bass strings

[gordon stelter]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did not use any
liquid polish just Scotch-Brite, or steel wool, which
is why I am surprised that the tone "died" so badly. 
The "defubbimator" , brake-part cleaner and twisting
seem the "way to go", to me.
     Thump

--- stuka at mindspring.com wrote:

> Just boiled one of the unisons on the Frankenpiano,
> #G24, a triple-string unison. Boiled it in a big pot
> 12-14" in. dia or so, in about 3" of water. The pot
> never did get to a big rolling boil, it's a gas
> stove and it takes a lot longer to get there than an
> electric would.  Let it boil for a half-hour, 45
> minutes or so. Pulled the strings out, let them cool
> about a minute, then wiped them vigorously, pinching
> the string in a cloth and pulling it through over
> and over.  The first several times this leaves black
> dirt/oxide marks in the cloth, then the marks begin
> to get lighter.  Pulled/wiped the strings until they
> didn't leave marks. Re-strung the unison, and yes,
> in this case there is obvious improvement over the
> two untreated unisons beside it. Much more live and
> brilliant, and the attack is not clunky and
> over-prominent, but tighter and more blended in with
> the decay/sustain, and pleasant.  This was rather a
> quick-and-dirty trial and it looks like there might
> still be some!
>   room for improvement; all of the discoloration
> (and presumably all of the dirt/grime/oxidation) is
> not gone, though the unison looks quite pretty and
> shiny next to it neighbors. 
> 
> I'm also wondering about some of the kitchen methods
> for de-oxidizing copper, which tend to run along the
> vein of citrus and salt solutions.  One example that
> seems rather elegant for having the "best of both
> worlds" is this:  "Vinegar and Salt. If copper is
> tarnished, boil article in a pot of water with 1
> tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several
> hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry." 
> The double-duty of boiling and non-abrasive chemical
> removal of tarnish seems appealing.  I suppose I can
> pull out another unison on the FP and try it out
> here in a few...
> 
> Matt
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Pianotuner <pianotuner at telenet.be>
> >Sent: Jun 28, 2007 1:56 PM
> >To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org>
> >Subject: RE: Why NOT to polish bass strings.......
> >
> >Hi Stéphane and all,
> >
> >About boiling the strings...
> >I had very recently a set that needed replacement
> on a small grand in my
> >shop. I read something about that boiling of string
> before, so I tried
> >everything in the book and nothing seemed to help,
> so I decided to boil them
> >and I can assure you that this did not improved
> anything to the sound... if
> >not made it worse. So I think the only good way is
> to either add an extra
> >twist in the direction of the copper winding before
> putting the string back
> >on or just replace the string(s). Indeed rubbing
> with steel wool will make
> >them shiny but leaves small particles of the steel
> wool between the windings
> >which in most cases makes the string duller then
> before.
> >
> >Conclusion: The boiling test is done but was not
> successful.
> >
> >Maybe they needed longer boiling time, I boiled
> them up to 10 min.
> >I think for guitarists it more to get the grease
> from their fingers out of
> >the windings, but in our case it is dust, corrosion
> and aging.
> >
> >Kind regards,
> >Peter Joris
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
> >Of Stéphane Collin
> >Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 12:06
> >To: Pianotech List
> >Subject: Re: Why NOT to polish bass strings.......
> >
> >Hi Gordon.
> >
> >Indeed, any liquid/chemical mean to polish the bass
> string will unfavourably
> >
> >alter the tone of the bass strings.  I don't
> understand why this is.  My 
> >guess : it is the minute shocks between the brass
> windings that make the 
> >high partials of the tone.  Anything in between the
> windings (dirt, paste, 
> >and all) will damp the minute shocks, thus the high
> tones.
> >While we are there, may I just mention again what
> did work for me and what 
> >didn't, in order to bring back some brightness in
> the tone ?
> >Mechanical rubbing of the brass (scotch brite,
> steel wool) does improve the 
> >look, but not the sound.
> >Removing the string from the hitch pin, making a
> large loop in it and 
> >running the loop back and forth along the string
> has mixed results : 
> >sometimes some brightness comes back, sometimes not
> at all.
> >Removing the string from the hitch pin and twisting
> it in the direction of 
> >the winding before putting it back on the hitch can
> bring some of the 
> >brightness back, certainly with many turns, but it
> also affects the 
> >inharmonicity of the string, and after three or
> four twists, the sound of 
> >the string becomes objectionnable.
> >Removing just the tension of the string, leaving it
> in place, and banging it
> >
> >hard with heavy hammer strokes works great, nice
> results, but one every 4 
> >strings so treated breaks when pulled back to
> tension.
> >Replacing the strings with new ones works like
> wonder, assumed that you wait
> >
> >until the strings have settled.
> >
> >I heard that guitarists who can't afford buying a
> new set of strings (the 
> >majority of those) have good results boiling the
> strings in boiling water. 
> >I never tried this with a piano string, but am
> wanting to hear comments from
> >
> >those who did.
> >
> >Hoping to raise some more comments.
> >
> >Best regards.
> >
> >Stéphane Collin.
> >
> >----- Original Message ----- 
> >From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp at yahoo.com>
> >>     Was it what I used, or will ANY polishing of
> bass
> >> strings harm the tone ??? I won't do any more,
> until
> >> certain.
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 



       
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