Center Pin Lubricant

[Barrie Heaton]

In your message dated Tuesday 11, July 1995 you wrote :

> I am looking for the same cpl as was manufactured by Tuners Supply, or
> was purchased by them.
> I have found it quite good for easing center pins, but its best
> application for me has been making reel to reel tape that has lost its
> lubrication playable.

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 I am glad some one found a use for centre pin lubricant. The
company I use to work for in the late seventies used the stuff
by the gallon it caused us no end of problems pianos action
developed bad squeaks and wen you tried to recanter the bushings
fell out so my first encounter with centre pin lubricant was not
a happy one rebushing all them flanges

I have only been receiving this posting since Thursday 6th July.
It seems most of you seem to prefer using wood alcohol to
recentre your flanges.  I am fascinated I am assuming that you
only use alcohol on relatively new bushings as the old bushings
before 1950 would have been glued in with animal glue.  The
solvent for animal glue is spirits.  So I would imagine the same
problem arising with the centre pin lubricant ie., bushings
falling out.

Does the alcohol not effect the glue in new flanges as I am led
to believe that a crossed linked pva glue is used and pva is
water soluble over a period of time.  So in using alcohol on
centre pines are you not creating problems for the technician in
the future.  A colleague in Scotland tells me that a major
American manufacturer recommends alcohol on its centres is this
true?  if so is it a ploy by the manufacturers to shorten the
life of the piano therefore increasing sales.  Or is it just that
I've got hold of the wrong end of the centre pin.

Waiting with some real alcohol in a glass for your replies.


Barrie Heaton