[pianotech] Wiping Rusty Strings W/Oil

[Tom Driscoll]

Michael,
   I use protek on every pitch raise but never with a spray bottle. I run a quick thin stream with a needle oiler over the presssure and  v-bar and anywhere else that excessive friction exists. I'm guessing that I perform a similar amount of pitch raises and was taught to pull them up as fast as possible with the Coleman-Defebaugh anticipated drop method and also rarely break strings.  

You wrote :   " pulling wire through that point rapidly during a major pitch correction, is IMHO a recipe for breaking strings." 

.From 30 + years experience I'll respectfully disagree that the speed at which the wire bends around the pin will increase the likelihood of string  breakage .
 For discussions sake let's say  your premise is correct and my method does increase the frequency of string breakage.  Add up the total time spent on 6 to 8  slow pull pitch raises vs. the jerk it on up method and that time differential  more than offsets the rare broken string. 

Also you wrote : "I pulled that piano to pitch first sitting, with no string breakage "


With no overshoot from 179 cents flat I suspect the pitch after 80 minutes was at least 20 cents low . Did you slow pull again to 440 or fine tune at that point?

The Coleman anticipated drop method and my accutuner pitch raise program  leaves the piano around pitch but very  rough. One more very quick pass and I'm raising some strings , lowering some others and  end up   with a piano that is essentially at pitch with rough unisons.Total time 30 to 45 minutes tops. 
Routine tuning follows.
 Just my take on this . The great thing about our trade is the diversity of technique and opinion .Even Phil Bondi has a valid opinion once in a while.<G> Love Ya Phillip!
Best wishes,
Tom Driscoll

  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Michael Magness 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:31 PM
  Subject: [pianotech] Wiping Rusty Strings W/Oil



  I have rarely had the problem of strings breaking, rusty or not when I tune with care.
  I frequently read on this venue of those who "pulled it to pitch with a quick pass" , I don't do that even on new pianos. 

  Some of you may remember me writing of a 179c pitch raise, using my Cybertuner, I pulled that piano to pitch first sitting, with no string breakage. It had some string rust & I did use Protek on the V-Bar via a Q-tip however I also took my time pulling it to pitch, it took about 80 minutes. 
  Strings frequently break at the pin where they begin the turn around the pin, a stress point, pulling wire through that point rapidly during a major pitch correction, is IMHO a recipe for breaking strings. 

  I probably do at least 6 to 8 1/2 tone or more, pitch raises a month. I do the disclaimer at each one that it's possible that strings will break, they rarely do with the exception of the cheap pianos where one expects it.

  I have used Protek perhaps one or 2 other times as I did on that 179c PR. I bought a 4oz. spray bottle & an 8oz. refill & still have both 8 years later.

  I did tune a piano for a while that had the tuning pins "cleaned" with WD-40. Initially the pins were nice & tight, with in 2 years they wouldn't hold anymore as the WD-40 had migrated fully into the block.

  Mike
  -- 
    

  Michael Magness
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