Verdigris

[Mary Smith]

Tim,

You make a really excellent point. Thanks for the reminder that we 
are serving our clients, not just their pianos.

Mary

>I believe the original question was concerning an application of 
>somesort to remedy verdigris.
>
>The comments have all been interesting.  But there are underlining 
>issues that haven't been addressed.  They will determine which 
>methods to use.  What type piano are we talking about and what is 
>the economic situation of the customer.  Remember them?
>
>I recently used Wild Turkey Bourbon on a grand that is owned by a 
>retired music professor who is on a fixed income.  According to some 
>this situation should only be remedied by replacing the parts. 
>Which foods or medicines should this fixed income person forgo so he 
>can play his piano with new parts? Maybe he should just not have a 
>piano for the rest of his life?  Gosh, maybe that is fitting.  If he 
>can't fix it right, he shouldn't fix it at all.
>
>I have permanently (the list seems to think 25 years enough time to 
>qualify as permanent) repaired verdigris in spinet and console 
>pianos for people with very limited incomes.  I suppose I should 
>refuse to work on these pianos because they aren't grand pianos, but 
>in my part of the world you work on everything or you don't work. 
>Word gets around that you are uppedy and the people with the grands 
>won't hire you.  Some of you work in a different type of world and 
>that's OK, but don't think your rules must apply to everybody else. 
>Personally I find the lower income people more of pleasure to work 
>for.  I could tell stories here, but it's not worth  it.  Let's put 
>it this way, there is a difference between being taken for granted 
>and being truly appreciated for my skills.
>
>Not everything is cut and dried.  Yes, I replace parts in fine 
>instruments if the situation allows it.   Contrary to what others 
>are saying, there is more than one way to fix the verdigris problem. 
>And the fix can be long lasting.  I will say that using Wild Turkey 
>Bourbon on flanges that have had some sort of lubricant put on them 
>doesn't work well.  The original question didn't say anything about 
>other chemicals already being put on the flanges.   The question 
>pertained to verdigris only as I understood it.
>
>Tim Coates
>University of South Dakota
>
>_______________________________________________
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