[CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings

[Ed Sutton]

Annie-

How about microwaving them?

Ed Sutton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Annie Grieshop" <annie at allthingspiano.com>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:33 PM
Subject: [PHISH] Re: [CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings


> Israel,
>
> Put the new punchings in a cloth or mesh bag, toss the bag in a
> clothesdryer, and let it tumble for 15-20 minutes.  That will certainly 
> kill
> any larvae and probably do in the eggs, as well, without any chemicals at
> all.  Heat would guarantee the eggs are killed (and it shouldn't harm the
> punchings -- try it with a few to find out), but even cold-air tumbling 
> will
> probably do a thorough job on them.
>
> The bag does need to get thrown around inside the dryer, so you might have
> to add tennis balls or tennis shoes (the same procedure as fluffing a down
> comforter).
>
>>From your description, my guess is the damage was done before the pianos
> left the factory and is not an ongoing problem.  But better to have some
> extra insurance.
>
> Annie Grieshop
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of
>> Israel Stein
>> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 9:39 AM
>> To: caut at ptg.org
>> Subject: [CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings
>>
>>
>> At 11:01 AM 5/11/2007, James Ellis wrote:
>> >Whenever I would find moth-critter damage to punchings, I would strip 
>> >the
>> >keybed clean - puncings, key cloth, and all, clean the whole piano
>> >thoroughly, looking for any evidence of moth eggs.  If I found them, the
>> >job would become more extensive.  After that, there would usually be no
>> >problem, provided the piano was cleaned once in a while.
>> >
>> >Tuners Supply Company used to have a moth proofing liquid called X-Hale.
>> >Fumes from that stuff were so strong they would make your eyes
>> burn.  There
>> >was no water in it.  One would soak the insides of the piano
>> with it, close
>> >it up, and cover it for 24 hours.  No live critters or eggs would be 
>> >left
>> >after that, and the funes would soon dissipate after opening the
>> piano back
>> >up.
>> >
>> >That was 60 years ago.  I don't have that problem now.  Israel,
>> do you find
>> >the damage in several pianos?  If so, there is a common source of these
>> >critters, and perhaps you should get the pest control people involved.
>> >Clean the pianos out, and replace anything that shows any sign of 
>> >critter
>> >gnawing.  You don't want to leave any critter eggs in there.
>> >
>> >Good Luck,  Jim Ellis
>>
>>
>> Jim,
>>
>> Thanks for the information. We found the problem in several pianos -
>> but only in Asian ones: Yamahas and the Korean Kohler & Campbells,
>> all about 10 years old. No problems with American pianos - and we do
>> have lots of much older Steinways, Baldwins, Wurlitzers and Everetts
>> at the school. So we suspect that the critters are imported with the
>> pianos from the source country and are not a local infestation. I
>> hear that this is common. Since there are no wool furnishings around
>> here - curtains, stuffed chairs, carpets, etc. - I don't see how
>> these critters would spread from piano to piano. Add I don't see
>> moths flying around. But then there is the theater department on the
>> other end of the building - costume shop, wardrobe, prop storage...
>> Hmm...  Maybe I should check with them about moth damage in their 
>> stuff...
>>
>> Yamaha sent us a bunch of replacement punchings free - but I hesitate
>> to put them in pianos, since they might be the source of the
>> infestation... Maybe fumigating them with or dipping them in one of
>> the suggested substances before use might be a good idea?
>>
>> Israel Stein.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>