S&S green goop

[ChrisRis@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/19/1999 5:15:28 AM, you wrote:

<<List,
Christopher has asked what causes the verdigris found mainly on Steinway
centers.  We've all probably heard so many reasons for this green goop
that we aren't sure which is correct.  Several years ago, I was in a
class given by Fred Drasche.  I remember him saying that "in the old
days, we (at Steinway NY) used to dip each center pin in lamb's fat
(tallow) before inserting them."  He went on to explain that although
the tallow allowed the center to work very well for many years, he
believed that eventually, this practice was the cause of the majority of
the verdigris.
Jim Krentzel

>>

Ah, very interesting, now we're getting somewhere.  But it begs the question 
- what is it that turns the tallow green???

Christopher