The electro clean solution is mostly Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP). You can buy it as a powder at most paint stores or hardware stores. Stainless steel or lead sheeting is best for the other element in the cleaning solution. I understand that it's really the hydrogem bubbles that scour the metal. Mike Swendsen -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Larry Fisher Sent: Friday, July 17, 1998 9:31 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Cleaning metal Hi all, As for John's post about Bush and Lane pianners, ....... OOOPs and OOOOOPs again eh?? I had the occassion recently to find a way to clean some aggraffes for a small Wurly grand that I'm presently doing. As part of a restringing job, I respray the plate and as part of the prep for this job, I remove the aggraffes. Whilst removed, I buff them up so they look like new. These particular ones has a coating of mystery material ...... paint like, only harder, greenish goldish color, won't scrape off without damaging the aggraffe, won't buff off (just loads up with compound), I tried soaking in alcohol, then lacquer thinner, then BATTERY ACID, and nothing touched this stuff. A few months back I had the foresight to purchase the plating in miniature kit from Caswell in Elmira, NY. In this kit is some stuff called Electroclean solution. I heated it up in my crockpot to almost boiling, immersed the aggraffe clamped to a jiffy clamp, and applied current to it supplied by my battery charger. 2 minutes later it was free of all attached nasties and it buffed up nicely. I did the whole set using two jiffy clamps and alternating back and forth between clamps. I would imagine you could clean urine soaked casters the same way with out harming the plating. I have no idea what's in the Electroclean solution, but you could try ordinary dish soap (a short squirt) in about a quart of water, and perhaps a wee bit of alcohol, and then apply a charge. I used the negative on the part, and the positive on a piece of cast iron stock (don't use brass). Try it if you can, and let us know how it comes out. Lar Larry Fisher RPT specialist in players, retrofits, and other complicated stuff phone 360-256-2999 or email larryf@pacifier.com http://www.pacifier.com/~larryf/ (revised 10/96) Beau Dahnker pianos work best under water
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