Stranger Buzz Musings

[Susan Kline]

At 03:18 PM 11/14/1999 -0700, Bob Anderson wrote:
>Susan Kline wrote:
>
>"I use a 6B (very soft) pencil to rub across the contact area, where the
>glides have made marks."
>
>I would like to cast a vote (or as many votes as I can) against this
>solution. Even though it can stop a noise, the side effects can be
>worse than the problem (in my experience.) I have gotten graphite on my
>hands and clothes because of this. (Fortunately, I've managed to avoid
>getting it on a customer's carpet.) I assume that Susan is very careful,
>but some technician's have not been careful. It's possible to play with
>fire without getting burnt. But I think it's safer to warn against using
>graphite for this application.
>
>Before resorting to lubrication, it is worth checking the glides for
>tightness and proper height. I have found that glides that are loose in
>the keyframe can cause noise, as well as glides that exert too much
>pressure against the keybed.

I agree that it's good to check the keybedding.

What I don't see is how the graphite got all over the place. Maybe if I 
knew what Bob did to spread it around, I would agree. I take a normal 
drawing pencil (not a graphite stick) and mark on only the area where the 
glide contacts, not the whole hardwood insert. The marks are a third of an 
inch long, less wide, and I don't press hard enough that the pencil lead 
gets powdered.

I have far more anxiety over black mess from the graphite in tallow which 
older generations have smeared around various places on the keybed and 
trapwork. When I pull a grand action, I spread a sheet or newspaper where 
it's going to rest. My hands become a mess when I'm fiddling with old 
trapwork, but I find it washes off pretty well using a little dish 
detergent at the customer's kitchen sink.

However, if you find that graphite gets all over the place, by all means 
forego it. Only, I hope that doesn't mean that people will go and put 
greasy stuff in its place.

Susan Kline