Cleaning Action Rails/Brackets

[Prof. Euphonious Thump]

    Spray with "Super Clean", "Purple Power" or
whatever sort of water-soluble ultra-strong degreaser
( wear respirator, goggles and gloves----and rubber
boots !!!  ) is available from your auto parts/ auto
paint store.  Let sit  a  minute, wipe with
non-scratch ( blue ) Scotch-Brite (TM) or terry cloth,
blast with hose, wipe dry, place in dry area, out of
sun. What looks like old motor oil will come off of
it, and you'll suddenly feel all fresh, happy and
clean inside !!!! 
     ( And smile--I guarantee it !!! )
    A LOT of the disgusting, reeking crap from inside
old pianos can be removed this way: with no apparent
effect on the parts, AS LONG as you dry them off
quickly ( I like paper towells )  and then let them
dry thoroughly, out of the sun ( to avoid warpage ). 
     As for the holes in  the rail: as far as I'm
concerned, there may be some benefit in a  slight
swelling of compacted wood there.
    I do wooden action rails this way, too, ( and
keyframes ) but also  scrub them in the direction of
the grain with a  cheap brass 
pot-washing brush from the grocery store. You'd be
AMAZED at how much nicer they get ! ( And then, when
they're dry, I put soda straws over the keyrail pins,
and lacquer the things: sealing in residual odors (
mouse pee/pheremones being the hardest to fully
eliminate ) and assuring that the next bloke ( or
blokesse ) dealing with this, 100 years hence ( if
there is 100 years hence on this planet )  will have
an easier go with it !!!
     Keys, too can be cleaned like this: but first
drill tiny holes through the buttons, and tap in
stainless steel brads, to keep them from slipping
around if their glue softens. 
     Fill a tool box with the cleaner, dunk the key,
let sit a minute or two,  scrub with pot brush, blast
with hose ( including right up into the mortises:
thereby reemoving built up crap, and loosening the
busings ) pick out bushings, install Spurlock sizing
cauls, dry with paper towells, put on rack ( with
raised edges to keep keys from sitting on damp bottoms
) let dry pout of sun. My only caution here is that
you might want to let the sharps dry thoroughly , then
size the inside of the tips with thin CA, then wet
again before putting in sizing cauls to keep the thin
wood there from developing hairline cracks fraom the
sizing cauls.
   Thump


P.S. If you think I'm totally nuts: kindly consider
that I know of other techs who've successfuly used
these methods on dozens of instruments for years.



--- "William R. Monroe" <pianotech at a440piano.net>
wrote:

> Hi Folks,
> 
> Have an old S&S.  Complete action rebuild.  Action
> rails and brackets are 
> DIRTY.  Suggestions on cleaning??
> 
> Thanks 88 times.
> William R. Monroe
> 
> 
> 



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