[pianotech] tape residue

[Ron Nossaman]

Barbara Richmond wrote:
> 
> 
> Howdy,
> 
> I was having a look through the archives about removing
> tape goo from keytops and someone made a reference to a
> type of key that might get damaged by a solvent. Would that
> be those old celluloid keys?

Depends on the solvent, doesn't it? I typically use Imperial 
Cleaner. It's reminiscent of lighter fluid, and I haven't run 
into any keytop that is damaged by the stuff.


> Another question about those celluloid keytops. I have a
> customer with a Baldwin Monarch small upright with
> many--maybe all--chipped keys. She doesn't want to spring
> for new keytops, so I was thinking of just filing and
> making waterfall keys out of them. Will the celluloid file
> OK?

I've seen a lot of them done successfully. I used to hear them 
called José Iturbi keyboards, because he allegedly had his 
piano done that way to keep the keytop overhang out of his cuffs.
Ron N