oilers (Protek-good method)

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Devlon,
I find your method too involved. for an easier solution check my site  below
and click on needle oiler <G>
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <BSHARPTUNE@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2001 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: oilers (Protek-good method)


> Hi Tom,
>
> In my quest for applying Protek, I have tried every type of oiler, hypo
> oiler, by Schaff, Jenson tools, others, etc.   There are two problems with
> all of these oilers:
>
> 1.  The amount of flow is not controllable enough; you lose too much
Protek.
> 2.  The heads of some  oilers will not go in tight places between the
flanges.
>
> I have found using a hypodermic syringe is the best, however you have to
> prepare it somewhat before using it.  Syringes can be purchased from any
> pharmacy or veterinary supply without prescription for about .35 each.
>
> Buy a syringe that at least 100cc in size.  This is a good size to handle
and
> will do an entire action in about 3 barrels full.  The needle itself
should
> be 1.5-2" long and have an internal diameter of . 020.  This may be
referred
> to as a 20 gauge barrel, but I am not certain.    You need this needle
length
> to get good access to all action centers from any position, and this
internal
> barrel diameter to get adequate flow.
>
> The tip of a syringe will have to be cut flush because syringes have a
slice
> at the aperture of what looks like 70-80 degrees.  This will cause Protek
to
> flow out the side allow you to put it where you want it.
>
> Preparation:
>
> Before you cut the tip off the barrel (cutters for steel here; no center
pin
> cutters)
> insert a . 020 guitar strings.  At any music store, ask for a . 020 plain
> steel guitar string.  The string is about 30" long, enough for 20-30
> syringes, and cost about . 85 cents.  The reason you are inserting the
string
> into the barrel is to prevent the barrel from being crushed flat when you
cut
> the sharp tip off.  Once the tip is flat, it is impossible to "round"
again,
> and is useless.  Insert the string into the needle until it protrudes a
> little out the tip.  Now cut (again, sharp cutters here.  These needles
are
> very hard stainless steel!).  After the cut you will notice that the
barrel
> has compressed on the guitar string.  Sometimes you can pull the string
out,
> sometimes you can't.  But it doesn't matter at this point because you will
hav
> e to "reshape" the barrel some anyway.  At this point I take the smooth
part
> of needle nose pliers and gently compress the needle in the area needed to
> get it back to a round shape.  This will always "release" the guitar
string.
>
> Applying:
>
> Usually, until the bottle of Protek (4oz size) is about 2/3 empty, you can
> push the syringe into the top of the bottle, and back out the plunger.  It
> will fill up.  Then I upright the syringe (needle upwards), thump it to
get
> the air bubbles to the top, and push it the plunger a little to get all
the
> air out.
>
> Drawback:
>
> There is something about Protek that causes the rubber part of the plunger
to
> swell.  This swelling occurs by the time you are finished doing an entire
> action.  You will notice by the second barrel that the plunger is getting
> harder to push.  So, when you use the syringe you cannot leave it
partially
> filled, and then go have lunch, etc, and expect to use it again later.
You
> will find the plunger will be nearly impossible to move!  So, this is
applied
> all at one time.
>
> Cleanup:
>
> As soon as you are finished, wash the entire syringe (especially the
rubber
> part) in water.  Fill the barrel and flush water through the tip.  DO NOT
> store the syringe with the plunger inserted.  This will compress the
rubber,
> and make the fit no longer air tight which will cause it to leak.
>
> When I apply Protek I usually remove the entire action and balance it
> vertically.   This way I have easier access to all the action centers. But
> more importantly this uses gravity to flow Protek directly into the
bushings.
>  I flip the action and apply again.
>
> This "syringe method"  make sound like some trouble, but it really isn't.
> You will find that you will waste no Protek at all, and will have perfect
> control of even "micro-drops" to just the places you want it.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Devlon
> Western KY Univ.