Thank you all for your timely and possibly life saving information. While Marcel suggests a less ominous theory, I suspect, from the other info and from the very fine, consistent texture of the appearance (not crumbly) that the toxic interpretation is probably accurate. The links and background info are deeply appreciated. It's also nice to know there are still new things to come across after this many years. The young mother-owner of this Baldwin Acrosonic (one of the better vintage) will be initially horrified, but canafford to have it professionally tested (excited though I was at the prospect of buying a whole new set of toys...chemicals, test strips, lab equipment, etc.), but this may actually have an Ag-lining, in that the reason she initially called me was to have a badly chipped key repaired before the upcoming visit of her mother-in-law, the donor of the piano. I explained that it would be hard (if not impossible) to accomplish an indiscernible repair, since the otherwise blemish-free keyboard used a material and thickness that I doubt are still available (very thin), and I've had limited success with Acryli-key (I don't know if it would even work on plastic). Concern about potential condemnation from the visitor might be easily converted into righteous indignation, and guilt (& remorse) might supplant judgement. But people being who they are, things rarely work out that cleanly. I'll report back. David Skolnik Hastings on Hudson, NY At 01:22 PM 3/28/2009, you wrote: >Some pianos had replaced hammer rail felt with some kind of green >foam. I've seen quite a few of them and the foam does crumble and >make the kind of green dust you mentioned. Have a look at the spring >rail and some of them had also the hammer rail covered with the stuff. > >Marcel Carey, RPT >Sherbrooke, QC > > > Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:43:51 -0400 > > From: davidskolnik at optonline.net > > To: pianotech at ptg.org > > Subject: [pianotech] Strange Green Powder > > > > My dear Southern Brothers - > > > > Would anyone from Florida or Louisiana (or other) have any idea of > > the origin of an unusual lime-ish green powder that seems to have > > been distributed over the hammers and dampers of a Baldwin Acrosonic > > that I looked at yesterday? The piano lived, previously in the those > > states. It does not seem to relate to any copper oxidation (the > > strings are fine), nor to any abraided felts (there is nothing else > > of that color). Could it have been some bug or mildew > > treatment? I'd like to know, before I try tasting it. Thanks > > > > David Skolnik > > Hastings on Hudson, NY > > > > > > >---------- >Windows Live Messenger vous permet de rester en contact plus >facilement- <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9650737>apprenez comment! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20090329/bf94167c/attachment.html>
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