pinblock treatment

[FSSturm@aol.com]

I know this is a bit tardy (the thread is pretty cold), but I have a couple
comments. I also believe that the notion that pinblock treatment ruins
pinblocks is at least not the whole truth. I used to use a glycerine/alcohol
formula (half and half), but found that I didn't like the feel of the pins -
there was a sort of spongy feel to them so that you didn't know where you
were. Over time this seemed to disappear, but I decided to try other
formulas.

Quikset from APSCO became my preferred formula. First of all, it is quite
fast. You can tell within hours if it is going to work, sometimes within
minutes. Tuning the next day is the rule. The effect seems to be quite
permanent. Fifteen years later I find no recurrence of loose pins.

I'm not a gungho pinblock treater. If only a few pins are loose, I prefer to
install oversize pins. But there are many situations where a treatment is
called for, especially on spinets or less expensive grands. The spinet would
otherwise be dump material,  and the grand would probably need a new block if
it were to be restrung. I can testify from my own experience that a piano can
be repinned with oversize pins after pinblock treatment with no ill effects -
have done it a couple times when the treatment wasn't effective enough.

I'm curious about the Glycerine/soggy block scenario. I wonder what
proportion of glycerine was applied. Also wonder if a different formula for
different parts of the country would be in order. (Certainly DampChaser
applications need to be adapted to surrounding conditions). Keeping the
glycerine formula away from the understring felts is a must - tilt the piano
so it won't run that direction. That should take care of the rusty string
termination problem.  But I must admit that most people who have written to
support treatment are from dry climates, so maybe it just doesn't work well
in the humid parts of the country, or possibly different formulas are
required.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
Albuquerque, NM