[pianotech] Piano rusting at the beach

[Rob McCall]

Thanks Paul...

This piano is in Cardiff by the Sea and it's right across the street from the beach.

My client wants to restring it so I'm not too worried about fixing that particular part.  I'm most interested in getting it thoroughly cleaned while the strings are out and off the tuning pins.  I believe that to be the optimum time to fix most of it.  The dremel tool is a great idea.

One of the other reasons for restringing is the fact that every single string is tied off at the hitch pin. So there are coils at both ends! I'm not really looking forward to tying all those knots, but it's in the estimate...  :-)

The good news is that the piano will be moved to Temecula, over 25 miles from the beach and a much drier and warmer climate.  It's also getting a DC unit to keep it near the same humidity it's accustomed to.

I'll look into the coil/tuning pin cleaning device.  I vaguely remember seeing that at one of the supply houses, too.

While I'm thinking of it, what about cleaning out the holes in the agraffes?  I pulled a couple of strings up to check pin tightness and I heard a good "ping" as the corrosion bond broke at the agraffe. Does someone make a steel pipe cleaner?  :-)

Regards,

Rob McCall
Murrieta, CA

On Feb 28, 2011, at 17:38 , Paul McCloud wrote:

> Hi, Rob:
> 	(From  down the road in San Diego...)
> 	The client should have purchased a string cover, which would have
> prevented the rust on the strings.  What's done is done, but I bet if they
> got one and kept the strings dry, they would stop rusting so much. 
> Moisture is going to feed the rust.  I would also put Music Sorb under the
> cover too, which would absorb moisture.  As far as cleaning the strings,
> you aren't going to get it all especially around the tuning pins.  But you
> can make it look better using polita cakes.  These were invented for Polish
> birthdays.  Ok, maybe not.  Around the pins you can use a wire brush
> chucked in a drill.  I think the supply houses used to have some kind of
> coil cleaning device and  compound.  Haven't used it, tho.  I've used a
> Dremel with a wire brush (steel or brass) to clean around the bridge pins
> and other tight places.  
> 	Bass strings will clean with steel wool but don't let it get stuck in the
> windings.  Rub along the string and not across it so that won't happen.  
> 	If they don't have a cover, or keep the salt air out of the piano, you'll
> be restringing it sooner than later.  I've contemplated using Extend on
> rusty strings, which is a spray that turns the rust black, but prevents it
> from returning.  I think Wim had some kind of stuff that he used to keep
> rust from happening inside a piano.  Though I'm not sure it would work on
> an open grand piano.  Check the archives or... Wim, what was that stuff?
> 	Paul McCloud
> 	San Diego