[pianotech] Strange Green Powder

[David Skolnik]

David -
To quote Mel Brooks, from the 2000 Year Old Man :  "I'm glad we 
spoke".  (Paul Revere)
So, how do you test (not taste) for arsenic?   And are there any 
other possibilities that would be less ominous? or more?

Ds




At 12:06 PM 3/28/2009, you wrote:
>My suspicion would be arsenic so don't taste it.  It used to be used 
>to kill rodents and bugs so the tuner could find the dead bodies 
>when he/she came to tune.
>
>dp
>
>
>David M. Porritt, RPT
>dporritt at smu.edu
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] 
>On Behalf Of David Skolnik
>Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 10:44 AM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: [pianotech] Strange Green Powder
>
>My dear Southern Brothers -
>
>Would anyone from Florida or Louisiana (or other) have any idea of
>the origin of an unusual lime-ish green powder that seems to have
>been distributed over the hammers and dampers of a Baldwin Acrosonic
>that I looked at yesterday?  The piano lived, previously in the those
>states.  It does not seem to relate to any copper oxidation (the
>strings are fine), nor to any abraided felts (there is nothing else
>of that color).  Could it have been some bug or mildew
>treatment?  I'd like to know, before I try tasting it.  Thanks
>
>David Skolnik
>Hastings on Hudson, NY