Protecting plain wire from rust

[Tom Servinsky]

Mark,
Make yourself a small  oil cloth by working a small amt. of Vaseline in a 
small piece of fabric ( T-shirt material). Simply wipe the string with the 
oil cloth just prior to installation and the string will remain looking new 
even through bad tropical  conditions.
We live in the tropics where hurricanes have wrecked havoc in our area over 
the past 2 years. Where most pianos strings rusted out due to the excessive 
salt exposure, the pianos we have rebuilt using this methods came out 
squeaky clean.
There doesn't seem to be an adverse affect on tonal and string behavior 
using this method.
I idea of using Protek has crossed my mind however the cost vs the Vaseline 
doesn't make good economic sense.
Tom Servinsky
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Schecter" <schecter at pacbell.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 12:15 AM
Subject: Protecting plain wire from rust


> Hi, all. Here's something I've been wondering about.
>
> In pianos with rusty strings, I use Protek on the strings where they pass 
> under the capo, and where they pass through the agraffes, as well as on 
> the counterbearing felt, to help ease rendering. It works, and seems to 
> keep on working for at least a few months, maybe longer. I have often 
> wondered if there is any substance (such as, oh, maybe, Protek?) that 
> people use on clean, shiny strings to prevent rust or tarnish ever 
> developing? I could imagine taking whole rolls of wire and dipping it in a 
> bath of XYZ-stuff before stringing, or sponging it on in the piano.
>
> We are instructed to coat practically every other metal surface in every 
> device in our lives (think car) with something or other, so why not piano 
> strings? I guess we could expand the question to include copper-wound bass 
> strings, too, if anyone has any thoughts about those. I'm interested to 
> hear people's ideas.
>
> -Mark Schecter
>