rusted piano strings

[Farrell]

The life of the strings will be maximized by leaving the rust on. The 
formation of rust on the exterior of metal provides some insulation against 
the migration of oxygen to the unrusted metal. Removing the rust will only 
expose the bare metal to the environment more and promote more rapid 
oxidation.

'Course, it'll look better if you remove the rust. IMHO, if the strings are 
lightly rusted and it can be easily removed, then it may offer a cosmetic 
improvement. If the strings are thoroughly rusted, all you're going to do is 
remove some powder, the strings will look just as bad, and they will corrode 
more rapidly.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
>I have a customer that owns a Kawai Grand with rusted piano strings. 
>Obliviously they would have benefited from a Damper-Chase system, and the 
>piano really needs to be restrung; however, is there any way to remove some 
>of the rust and extend the life of the current strings.
> Mark