Tuning pins and soap???

[L. Davidson Lamoreaux]

To Keith McGavern and to whom it may concern<G>
One reason I would never use soap on a tuning pin to try to tighten it up is
that soap is basically contaminated glycerin. (mixture of fatty acids, leftover
sodium or potassium hydroxide, lanolin? and definitely glycerin) The glycerin on
a wood screw absorbs moisture and rusts and gets really sticky in the wood and
naturally is hard to remove. I have gotten really upset with unthinking
carpenters that applied soap to wood screws and then ruined the very reason for
using screws in the first place. I think we all have dealt with rusted screws in
pianos and swore up and down at the mess caused by said rusted screws.
Question comes down to, why bother to remove the tuning pin if we already have
glycerin based tuning pin dope that will do the job easier and with less chance
of contaminating an already contaminated or hopeless block?
I hope you understand I am not criticizing you in the least! I think the
research is good to do but some research is unnecessary if we already know the
ingredients. NWIM?
David Lamoreaux, RPT
Wash. DC Chapter PTG