CA on bridge pins (was Re: false beats)

[Fred Sturm]

Roger,
	Thanks for the tip on paper towels. I'll try it. Fineness of applicator
tip doesn't seem to make much difference with the extra thin - it just
wants to run, and will. What I generally do is tap the pins on a whole
section, blow off dust (it gets loosened by the tapping), apply CA to
all the front pins in the section, then wipe vigorously with a rag.
Works wonders on the 20 year old Young Chang in the church. Shines up
the bridge real nice <g>. Frankly, I don't think the bit of CA between
string and bridge makes a dimes worth of difference. And that 10 - 15
minutes saves 20 minutes fussing with unisons the same day, let alone
subsequent tunings.
	I've been reluctant to do this on fancier pianos with picky customers,
though. Generally just tap those (often heel of palm on a combo handle
with brass rod inserted - dimple on end). Helps, but not as much as with
CA as well.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico

jolly roger wrote:
> 
> Hi Fred,
>                Most of the falseness noticed, has been with rust and
> dirt near the termination points.  Having said that,  I have noticed
> an improvement in power and sustain on PSO's with very rusty strings,
> once they are cleaned up.
>   With newer pianos, that has rust , I clean them up as a matter of
> routine with a string eraser.
>   On bad pianos, I have been aggressive with 600 grit, wet and dry to
> get them nice and clean,  it makes a big difference.  I know, I'm
> crazy, <G>  But it's the lesser of two evils.
> 
> Bridge pins and CA:   Place some paper towel between the notch and the
> strings and drip a few drops of the thin viscosity down the pin.  A
> second piece of paper towel to keep the excess  from forming between
> the string and bridge cap.  I use this for back against the wall
> treatment. My preference is to pull the pin, and use medium viscosity
> for the gap filling properties, also push the pin so the material is
> on the back side of the pin restoring side bearing.
> When recapping, I use thin CA as a pin driving fluid. It makes a big
> difference in power cleanness and sustain.
> Been doing this for a few years, and I have noticed cleaner and
> stronger sounding trebles.  I may be fooling myself, but I think the
> tuning seems more stable.
> My thought's on the matter, is that the pin to bridge connection has
> been may impervious to moisture swings.  Just a theory.   A few
> colleagues have tried this, and have found similar results.  Since the
> pianos have have a lot of work done to them, there is no real proof.
> 
> Regards Roger.
> 
>cdant1 wrote:
Fred, What about using a small syringe for the CA glue. Acetone is a
solvent
for CA glue but I think you may have problems with it, taking the
graphite
off of the bridge.I haven't had any luck using tape to mask off the
bridge,
it always seems to seep under and then you have a bigger mess. They do
sell
some small applicator tips that go on the end of the glue bottle that
are
nice for getting into small areas. I found these at a local hobby/model
car
store.