Great tip, Doug. I've always used 409 with a very similar procedure. Shop air is best, but using the blower on the vacuum also works. I feel pretty confident that only the tiniest residue of cleaning agent is left. Dean Dean W May (812) 235-5272 voice and text PianoRebuilders.com (888) DEAN-MAY Terre Haute IN 47802 -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Douglas Gregg Sent: Friday, March 09, 2012 11:05 PM To: pianotech Subject: [pianotech] Cleaning cast iron frame Rob Dow Scrubbing bubbles is the best thing I have found for cleaning around the tuning pins. I first brush and vacuum the loose dirt up. I then have my metro vac in blower mode. I spray around one section of pins at a time. Since it foams, there is not much liquid. I use an automotive parts cleaning brush that is quite stiff nylon to help stir up any stuff that is really stuck and then blow the foam to a corner toward the front and mop it up with a rag. I do the same with the soundboard. First I use a microfiber pad on a long wand to get off the heavy dust and lint. Since this is usually a piano in my shop, I then have the piano tipped up on a skid for the next step. I put a couple towels on the bottom along the rim. I spray the whole soundboard starting at the top. Use the parts cleaning brush as needed for really heavy dirt. The parts brush can be pressed through the strings and will reach the soundboard. It slides along the strings. Do a couple unisons at a time. The foam will run down to the bottom and be soaked up by the towels. Work quickly so the whole soundboard gets foamed and stays wet so there are no dirty rivers of dirt that might leave a pattern of streaks. When it is clean, I blow it off with the Metro vac. It will look like a new soundboard. It does not bother the soundboard decal either. Just don't scrub the decal area too hard. I have used the Scrubbing Bubbles on the finish of the case too. If it had been a smokers piano, you will be amazed at the amount of tar and nicotine that floats off instantly. I towel off the foam. It works so fast that the finish is not wet for long at all. Doug Gregg Classic Piano Doc Southold, NY Message: 2 Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2012 10:23:18 -0700 From: Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com> To: "pianotech at ptg.org" <pianotech at ptg.org> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Cleaning cast iron frame Message-ID: <020A68EE-D520-40A8-B62E-A988ED037A32 at mccallpiano.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Doug, So how do you administer the chemicals? Have you used it in and around tuning pins? If so, how do you mop up the spray and dirt removal most effectively? I've had some dirty pianos I've cleaned but I'm hesitant to use such a strong chemical around sensitive components. Regards, Rob McCall
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