[pianotech] Whitening yellowed ivories

[William R. Monroe]

Steven,

Depends upon what your client wants. If you have one that has a  
specific preference, fine, and follow their instructions. My default  
is to sand and smooth and polish to a high shine. That is what ivories  
on a piano SHOULD look like, IMO. The texture you see on old ivories  
is nothing more than wear. I don't personally find that desirable.  
Ivory wears unevenly because ivory is not homogeneous. Ivory has areas  
of higher and lower densities, much like growth rings on trees. As  
ivory wears, the higher density areas appear as ridges. While I agree  
with what Joe G said about some folks wanting that, I would not choose  
to keep ivories in that condition.  You'll have to sand them to remove  
any cupping and get a flat keytop again anyway.

William R. Monroe


On Nov 7, 2009, at 7:39 PM, Steven Hopp <hoppsmusic at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I placed a post earlier this week with a similar question and got no  
> reply.  We're busy I know.
>
> I wondered about the Klaviermacher video in which he sanded the  
> ivories a great deal.  I wondered if this would produce the expected  
> feel of real ivory keys?  If you sand off all of the ridges of  
> natural ivory to produce a very smooth surface and albeit white will  
> the pianist appreciate the tactile feel of this or could it ruin  
> what a performer wants to feel?
>
> Just curious and being careful before doing anything dramatic.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steven Hopp
>
> From: imatunr at srvinet.com
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 18:09:12 -0700
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Whitening yellowed ivories
>
> Wim, Scott has sunny days 360 of the year <G> Arizona
> Joe Goss BSMusEd MMusEd RPT
> imatunr at srvinet.com
> www.mothergoosetools.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: wimblees at aol.com
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 5:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Whitening yellowed ivories
>
> Scott
>
> Put them under a blacklight overnight. It will take some of the  
> yellow out, but they will not look white because the stain is  
> probably too deep in the pores of the ivory.
> If you know you're going to have sunny days, you can put them  
> outside in the sun for several hours at a time.
> Wim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott Helms, RPT <tuner at helmsmusic.net>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Sent: Sat, Nov 7, 2009 2:35 pm
> Subject: [pianotech] Whitening yellowed ivories
>
> I know I have read articles somewhere about different ways to  
> "bleach" or
> whiten yellowed ivory keytops, but I can't seem to find them. Does  
> anybody
> have any good tips for how to accomplish this? The piano is  
> extremely old
> and was in a smoker's home for many, many years. I'd also welcome  
> advice
> on what pitfalls to avoid in doing this job. Thanks in advance!
>
> Scott
> ------
> Scott A. Helms, Registered Piano Technician
> 480-818-3871
> www.helmsmusic.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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