White powder

[MR STEPHEN R HAASCH]

        I just worked on a Samsung baby grand today where the owners allege
that the previous tuner applied a white powder liberally to the works of
the action and surrounding area.  They did not know why this was applied.
        The powder was on top of the hammer flange area, between the hammer
butt and the butt jack (the leather was saturated with it).  The piano had
never had action troubles before this application.  I had to relieve two
areas of the action that were sluggish.
        Is there some kind of technology I am unaware of which would
justify this white powder?  It appeared to me to interfere with the teflon
coatings about the jack and the hammer butt leather.  I cleaned it all off thoroughly.

Steve

The Sun Came out here today in north central Florida.