[pianotech] Ballistol Lube

[Ryan Sowers]

A couple years ago I had the pleasure of attending an all-day workshop with
Ulrich Gerhardt, head of Concert Services with Steinway London. I asked him
about Ballistol. He said, they consider it like WD-40 and don't use it. He
routinely used Prolube for key pins.

The longer I'm in this business the more I believe that less is more when
it comes to lubrication. Its always best to avoid adding goop to pianos as
much as possible.

Ryan Sowers

On Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 9:43 AM, Alan Eder <reggaepass at aol.com> wrote:

> Hi Doug,
>
>  FWIW, I know one good tech. who used Ballistol as a center pin lubricant
> on the Renner parts he routinely works with. He reports that he stopped
> using it when, after a time, the parts thus treated began seizing up. YMMV.
>
>  Alan Eder
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Douglas Gregg <classicpianodoc at gmail.com>
> To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Sat, Nov 12, 2011 3:18 pm
> Subject: [pianotech] Ballistol Lube
>
>  Interesting comments about Ballistol risks. I would like to know more.
>
> I will take them one by one.
> Why would you not want to use Ballistol in contact with piano strings.
> I use it to remove rust from strings with a scotchbrite pad dampened
> with Ballistol. It virtually dissolves the rust and they look great.
> It does not collect dirt either. It sure beat an eraser.
>
> The reason you wear gloves when handling new strings is not because of
> oil but because your hands may be sweaty. Sweat is both acid and
> salty. That rusts strings. Ballistol is alkaline and will actually
> neutralize acid and leaves a thin non-hardening film that continues to
> protect for at least 25 years. (See the attachment for the story of
> firearms stored for 25 years). Ballistol has been used for protecting
> bare steel for almost a century.
>
> Will oils rot wood. This is an interesting claim. I have spoken with
> two wooden boat builders today and asked that question. They both
> laughed. Oil PROTECTS wood in all instances. Fungus and bacteria rot
> wood.  Even bilge oil leaking from motors portects or at least does
> not harm wood. Between us we have 150 years of experience with wood
> and use of oils on wood. None of us can think of a single instance
> where wood is rotted by oil. Please, I would like to know what was put
> on action pieces and bridges that softened or rotted it. The only
> thing that I can think of is some agent that was either very acid or
> something that encouraged the growth of fungi that degrade wood.
> Ballistol is specifically recommended for the protection of gun stocks
> to prevent water damage and swelling. See the attachment.
>
> Leather: Ballistol is a non-hardening (does not become resinous) oil
> that is alkaline and will neutralize tannic acid (residue from
> tanning) that is deleterious to the leather (and also metal that comes
> in contact with leather; ie. holsters). See attachment for more
> details. It is recommended for leather and has been used since WWI.
>
> Prevention of adhesion of glue to Ballistol treated wood. I have
> replaced key bushings that I had previously soaked with Ballistol. The
> glue adhered fine. If in doubt, acetone will take out Ballistol or any
> other mineral oil. This is not  true with silicone sprays. Silicone is
> used in fiberglass boat building as a release agent to keep polyester
> resin from sticking to molds. If you want to be shot on the spot, just
> go into an auto body painting shop and spray some Protek into the air.
> Silicones are absolutely banned from paint shops because they cause
> fisheye defects in paint and is a devil to deal with. Silicone
> prevents adhesion.  I once tried to paint a hood scoop on a muscle car
> that had been treated with Armor All. I tried fisheye eliminators and
> sanding, you name it. It resisted the paint no matter what. I would be
> more concerned about using silicones on bushing cloth than Ballistol.
> You can never get silicone out of wood. That is one of  the reasons I
> don't like using silicones. I have touched up plates that had
> Ballistol on them. It did not prevent adhesion like silicone.
>
> Is Protek better than Ballistol. Ballistol has stood the test of time
> longer than any silicone by more than 50 years. Actually, there are
> references for the use of coal oils that go back to the 1700's for
> protecting wood and metal. Ballistol has been protecting iron, steel
> and wood for nearly 100 years on firearms. It is recommended for use
> on stringed instrument wires also. (See attachment) Silicones don't
> dissolve rust or verdigris or neutralize acid or salts as Ballistol
> does. As far as I can tell, silicones are popular because Protek has
> been heavily marketed to piano techs. I'm not saying that it doesn't
> work. I just find that Ballistol works at least as well or  better and
> has other positive and proven features. I have found nothing to work
> as well on verdigris.
>
> Yesterday, I made a relatively rare call (for me) to see an electric
> organ with many keys and pedals not sounding. I worked on pipe organs
> for 10 years but hate working on electrics. But the problems are often
> the same. The keys and pedals on this Conn make electrical contacts
> through fine piano wires that contact a bar that is grounded. These
> wires were dirty and likely corroded in that tiny contact surface. It
> could take days to polish all those hundreds of wires. Instead, I
> sprayed all of them with Ballistol, and in minutes nearly all the
> notes and stops were working. The others just needed some exercise and
> they recovered too. I was done in less than an hour.
>
> On the issue of damper treatment, it is my last resort. I will use it
> on a piano where I know the owner is not going to pay for having me
> replace them. As I see it, the Ballistol will for sure not hurt the
> strings, except perhaps bass strings.  The Ballistol is probably
> replacing the lanolin in the felt and making it more resilient. It has
> stopped a lot of buzzing in a lot of old spinets in an instant. You
> can still replace them later with no problem with the glue. So why not
> use it. I have found that this cure lasts for years and can be
> repeated if necessary.
>
> Concerning Ballistol getting hard in a oil dispenser. That is not my
> experience. This is not the experience of a 50 year study on an old
> bottle either. (See attachment). The bulk Ballistol oil is thicker
> than the spray can oil and it may get a little thicker with age but
> that is not a bad thing. It will stay put then and continue to
> lubricate. Silicones do the same.
>
> See the attachment with many other uses for Ballistol and documented
> studies to back up the claims. Just try it, you will be impressed. You
> can get it from Midway USA gun shop on the web.
>
> Douglas Gregg
> Classic Piano Doc
> Southold, NY
>
>


-- 
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Olympia, WA
www.pianova.net
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