WD40

[Randy Chastain]

Have you ever tried brake cleaner in extreme cases?

Randy C


On 7/19/07 6:43 AM, "David Boyce" <David at piano.plus.com> wrote:

> On Monday I tuned the old birdcage upright of a work colleague.  This is the
> sole piano on which I have ever used WD40 on the action.
> 
> I first tuned it about eight years ago. When I came to it, the action was
> extremely sluggish, with notes just not repeating, and keys staying down.
> When I pulled the action out to look at the centres, I found that at some
> time in the past, the centres had all had been oiled.
> Moving a hammer flange with my finger, it moved with an evil slow oleaginous
> resistance. I  could see sludge around the bushings.
> 
> What to do?  The piano was cetainly not worth repinning and rebushing.  I
> suggested to my colleague and her husband that, as the piano was virtually
> unplayable as it was, I could try WD40 to see if it would re-liquify the old
> oil that had dried to varnish consistency, and at least get the action
> moving, presuming that the wood of the flanges had not swollen.
> 
> They agreed to try this.  It was spectacularly sucessful.  I had to do a
> large pitch raise, so went back in a few days to fine tune, and advised them
> to let the kids and their friends play as much as possible.  The action
> completely freed up!  And, free it has remained in the years since, with no
> fiurther applications needed.
> 
> So, while I would never ever in normal circumstances put WD40 near an
> action, in this case it did just what was needed.
> 
> David. 
> 
>