Interesting question, Bill. Taking Keith McGavern's advice, I looked into the archives, as I'm sure you have done. Nice discussion, especially the speculation that some key leads may have been derived from old melted linotype slugs. To add my 2 cents worth, I have encountered swollen, powdery key leads in about a dozen pianos here in So. Cal. over the last twenty years - all of them being old Wurlitzer grands. Sure hope they didn't pay too much for those leads... I used to file them back flush with the key sides, creating clouds of lead oxide dust. Not good. Besides, they also grow around their perimeters, splitting and distorting the keys. Nowadays I knock them all out and install new leads from the supply house. Wearing a dust mask and careful shop cleanup minimizes the health risk. Steve Schell stfrsc@juno.com
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