Lubricating V-bar

[Greg Newell]

Ted & List,

                This is quite a stretch. You cite an example of horribly
improper use of any chemical and then condemn the use of one specific
chemical. This makes no sense to me. In your story you state that the WD-40
was sprayed. Well, no control of application there, right? Second you state
that the elderly toner put the lubricant on the bridge itself. I should
think even the most common of sense should tell anyone that a liquid does
not belong there much less a lubricant. Of course you would find loose
tuning pins and problematic bridges. I should think you would with most
chemicals that were haphazardly sprayed on and on improper surfaces to boot.
Seems to me it was not the problem of a bad chemical but rather an
uninformed choice of how and where to use it.

 

Greg Newell

Greg's Piano Forté

www.gregspianoforte.com

216-226-3791 (office)

216-470-8634 (mobile)

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ted Simmons
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 4:37 PM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Lubricating V-bar

 

I started tuning in 1972, part time while working another job full time.  I
did about 10 tunings per week because I was the tuner for 2 piano stores.
Anyhow, an elderly tuner died and I and other tuners were getting calls from
his customers.  On every visit I found the piano in deplorable condition in
that all of the tuning pins were loose and the bass strings were thunky.
I’m talking about Steinway and Chickering grands, as well as all other kinds
of uprights and grands.  I had no idea why this was happening until one day
I went to tune a piano at a retirement club.  When I  found the same problem
I mentioned this situation to the club president and he said that he was
present when the elderly tuner started tuning the piano.  Much to his
chagrin he noticed that the tuner was spraying WD-40 over the V-bars and
bass string stagger pins.  He tried to stop him but it was too late.  What I
found was that the piano (an upright) had loose tuning pins and thunky bass
strings.  When I pulled up on one tuning pin and released the tuning hammer
the hammer moved back, having no friction at all.  My lesson from this is to
stay away from using 

WD-40 on pianos.  From past messages on this listserver I found that others
have had the same experience.  I don’t even keep WD-40 in my car anymore.

 

On Feb 17, 2008, at 3:14 PM, David Boyce wrote:





"David,

You misunderstood my comment.

Brush the schmutz off the v-bar-pin where the new string will occupy. NOT

the entire set.

Best wishes,

Tom Driscoll"

 

Ahh, sorry Tom!  I did in fact clean off the two bits with a rough cloth
before fitting the two new strings.  But my concern was less for the new
string then for the old ones, and the idea of the WD40 "spot lubrication"
applied to all the bass strings at the V-bar was to try and help prevent any
more of the old ones breaking.

 

Best,

 

David.

 

 

 

 

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