Speaking of WD40....

[Joseph Alkana]

Forgot to include the capo area as well for goo problem area potential!
Joseph Alkana RPT
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph Alkana" <josephspiano at comcast.net>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:25 AM
Subject: Re: Speaking of WD40....


> Tom, I've been there with a piano that had a sound deadening problem. 
> Turned out it was the agraffes/string juncture that actually caused the 
> problem. Before you get too carried away with potential soundboard ills, 
> you might just clean that termination point realllllll careful. A little 
> goo, which is very hard to see, will kill the tone in a big way. By the 
> way, the problem and solution were pointed out to me by my betters, Steve 
> Brady.
>
> Joseph Alkana RPT
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano at bellsouth.net>
> To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:49 AM
> Subject: Speaking of WD40....
>
>
>> List,
>> Got a real interesting situation with a Steinway B which has been in my 
>> care for the past 20 yrs. The piano was a pretty decent B, even though 
>> it was built during prime CBS years. The board had plenty of power and 
>> sustain and the piano was kept in good condition . Then one day it all 
>> changed for the worse.
>> I was about to do the tuning when I noticed the soundboard had a very 
>> different amber color to it. Then to my attonishment, there was no 
>> sustain...zilch. It was about that time when the owner's husband stepped 
>> into the living room and announced that he fixed the piano. "Huhhh?"
>> "Yep, sprayed WD40 everywhere". I almost had a heart attack. The wife was 
>> a piano teacher and she was sickened with what he had done. From that 
>> point it soundboard more like an Aeolian spinet than a Steinway B.
>> So fast forward some 15yrs and the owner passes and wils the piano to the 
>> local college. Now the college wants the board  repaired as best as 
>> possible without replacing it.
>> Question: Can WD40 penetrate the finish on the soundboard? Or will it 
>> just lay on top can create a residue, which is what I am hoping. My hopes 
>> is that ( once) the soundboard is stripped and the thick layer of gooh 
>> removed, the soundboard will come back to life.Anyone out there with any 
>> experience with this type of problem?
>> Just for the record I have isolated the problem to the soundboard. I have 
>> replaced several strings and did a pluck test to see if I can gain any 
>> sustain and nothing much improves. I've replaced hammers on those same 
>> notes seeing if anything can be improve. But it still points back to the 
>> thick layer of gooh on the soundboard. Plenty of crown and positive 
>> downbearing as well.
>> Tom Servinsky
>>
>>
>
>
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