[pianotech] Lead contamination abatement protocol

Kerry Cooper brispiano at optusnet.com.au
Fri Mar 25 17:08:58 MDT 2011


To coat the lead weights, I have been using shellac since my days as an 
apprentice in 1963. This works well as a sealant as player techs would know.

If the lead has started to oxidize, then it will grow and will need 
replacing in the future. There has been discussion here in Oz about why  in 
some pianos lead grows and others in the same room do not. When I was an 
apprentice, i was told to add zinc to the molten lead to stop or slow down 
this oxidization process.

Hope this helps.

Kerry Cooper ARPT
Brisbane, Australia

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Andrew Anderson" <anrebe at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 10:08 PM
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Lead contamination abatement protocol

>
> I'm not sure what I can seal the weights themselves with, but will  look 
> for a primer and cut a little hole out of the bottom of a plastic  cup and 
> spray into the cup over the keyleads (after preparing with a  little 
> sanding).
>
> There is room between the leads and the side of the key, so they have  not 
> expanded yet...  Sealing might slow the process, but I will  recommend 
> eventual replacement.
>
> If anyone has more to add, please do so.
>
> Thanks,
> Andrew Anderson
> On Mar 23, 2011, at 8:12 PM, Leslie Bartlett wrote:
>
>> When does one go "too far" with this stuff.   I'm old, and spent my  life
>> messing with stuff that now I think will kill if you're within a 
>> thousand
>> miles- and the worst they've done to me is a bad heart valve- which 
>> might
>> have been because my mother was exposed to something toxic when she  was 
>> a
>> kid.   I'm not trying to be too flip, but when I see anti bacterial 
>> stuff at
>> the grocery door, and realize I'm one of the "bad people" who don't  use 
>> such
>> stuff, it just seems a little much.
>> Les Bartlett
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Andrew Anderson
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 3:09 PM
>>
>> The subject is a Wurlitzer from Korea.  Silver dust under the weights
>> in the keys on the keybed and keyframe.  Leads are not protruding out
>> of the key (yet).
>>
>> Do you moist wipe off the loose stuff, bag the towels, and than seal
>> the lead from the air with some sort of paint/sealer?
>>
>> Is replacement necessary?
>>
>> Ideas?
>>
>> Andrew Anderson
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