Cracks in natural key tops

[ed440 at mindspring.com]

I believe cracks like this can be caused by silicone polishes.
Ed Sutton

-----Original Message-----
>From: Arbeau Piano <ArbeauPiano at comcast.net>
>Sent: Jul 22, 2006 1:45 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: Pianotech Digest, Vol 1277, Issue 90
>
>This is an interesting concern as I have for many years suggested and myself 
>do clean the keytops of my customers keys with  a glass cleaner diluted 50 
>percent with water if plastic (ammonia is too strong if at full strength in 
>glass cleaner) and  use only "Cory" Key-Bright if on real Ebonies and Ivory 
>keys.
>A piano dealer had me replace the key tops on a customers brandnew two month 
>old Samick  console that had these fine cracks on only the plastic white 
>keys. This piano had been serviced for its first time by the stores tuner 
>and supposedly this was by the customers opinion the cause of what ever the 
>tuner did to their keys. I've never seen this before on a brand new piano. 
>This piano was in a home with lots of animals and not a very "health 
>environment". I wonder if this piano may have been "cleaned" with some sort 
>of "disinfectant" for the tuner's protection.
>Gerald Arbeau 
>