FWIW, Several years ago I was given all kinds of advice on chemicals to get rid of verdigris. I tested 17 in all. From "Wild Turkey Bourbon" to brake fluid. I won't list everything here, but some of them worked much better than others but they were all temporary. Some lasted days, some several months. Believe it or not the best thing was "Goose Juice" (Joe Goss) which lasted longer than everything else. Protek CLP was next. TSP and even brake fluid was also pretty good. But in the end the verdigris returned. So, I replaced parts. Funny story; Here I am, Mormon and all, going into a liquor store to buy Wild Turkey bourbon. I have no idea which booze is which, so I asked the storekeeper about it. I told him "I need it to fix some parts on a piano". "Shhuuure you do" he said, wink wink. "No, really I do... " "Uhum. Yep. Okay...". I left red faced with brown bag in hand. So... I'm in my back yard (the stuff is strong smelling!) pouring this onto the unpinned flanges and blowing it out with a compressor (as I was advised to do) and I'm there holding this bottle, Bourbon all over me, stinking to high heaven, when one of the Elders from my church comes into my backyard..... Needless to say I got a quite a few winks from him next Sunday in church. Jim Busby -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Horace Greeley Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 6:34 PM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway verdigris Hi, David, At 05:01 PM 1/10/2011, you wrote: >Actually there is a pile in the archives but I've never seen and never >really tried alternative CP materials. The consensus (with which I so far >concur) is that nothing works. Clearly the best solution is to change the >parts but I'm open to other options if it turns out there are any. That's been pretty much it for quite a quite, which is part of why I am so pleased to see things like the new WNG stuff coming along. Maybe, we'll finally get action part making out of the stone age and save hardwoods for things for which there aren't yet suitable replacements. Hope all is well! Best. Horace >David Love >www.davidlovepianos.com > >-----Original Message----- >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Horace >Greeley >Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 4:05 PM >To: caut at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway verdigris > > >Hi, > >This has been such a problem for so long that I'm >kind of surprised that there isn't quite a pile >of threads on it in the archives. > >Anyway - simply replacing the verdigris-infested >parts has been the option of choice for well over >three decades. For a long time, the problem with >doing so was that the factory parts were so >variable in quality and dimension that they >weren't necessarily an improvement and most of us >who have been doing this for a while simply had >to use other parts that worked...sort of. While >it definitely wasn't optimum in any sense, that >solution bypassed all of the perniciously >repetitious problems that went along with trying to rework the older parts. > >This is one area in which I think that we are >incredibly fortunate today that there are so many >alternatives for dealing with so many of the >problems that used to be major problems for >rebuilders. There is almost an embarrassment of >riches in terms of quality parts, hammers, and >strings out there; to say nothing of very high >quality boards and blocks. It's a double-bind, >in a way, because it raises to new importance >questions around whether or not we really are >artisans and technicians or simply new parts installers. > >Best. > >Horace > > >At 02:56 PM 1/10/2011, you wrote: > >I wonder why not a heavy plastic. > > > >Greg Newell > >Greg's Piano Forté > >www.gregspianoforte.com > >216-226-3791 (office) > >216-470-8634 (mobile) > > > >From: caut-bounces at ptg.org > >[mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Love > >Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 10:51 PM > >To: caut at ptg.org > >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway verdigris > > > >Maybe it' time for anodized aluminum center > >pins. Anyway, the question still stands, if you > >repinned with a non reactive material could you > >solve the problem without changing parts and > >what would that material likely be? > > > > > > > >David Love > >www.davidlovepianos.com > > > >---------- > >From: Susan Kline <skline at peak.org> > >Sender: caut-bounces at ptg.org > >Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:21:48 -0800 > >To: <caut at ptg.org> > >ReplyTo: caut at ptg.org > >Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway verdigris > > > >On 1/9/2011 3:02 PM, David Love wrote: > >But are they 60% copper at the point of contact? > > > >I assumed that the center pins are solid nickel > >silver and not plated -- but these days, I'm > >learning not to depend too much on the accuracy of my assumptions. > > > >Susan
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