Freezer would be easier <g> Joe Goss RPT Mother Goose Tools imatunr at srvinet.com www.mothergoosetools.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Annie Grieshop" <annie at allthingspiano.com> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 10:33 AM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings > Israel, > > Put the new punchings in a cloth or mesh bag, toss the bag in a > clothesdryer, and let it tumble for 15-20 minutes. That will certainly kill > any larvae and probably do in the eggs, as well, without any chemicals at > all. Heat would guarantee the eggs are killed (and it shouldn't harm the > punchings -- try it with a few to find out), but even cold-air tumbling will > probably do a thorough job on them. > > The bag does need to get thrown around inside the dryer, so you might have > to add tennis balls or tennis shoes (the same procedure as fluffing a down > comforter). > > >From your description, my guess is the damage was done before the pianos > left the factory and is not an ongoing problem. But better to have some > extra insurance. > > Annie Grieshop > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org]On Behalf Of > > Israel Stein > > Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 9:39 AM > > To: caut at ptg.org > > Subject: [CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings > > > > > > At 11:01 AM 5/11/2007, James Ellis wrote: > > >Whenever I would find moth-critter damage to punchings, I would strip the > > >keybed clean - puncings, key cloth, and all, clean the whole piano > > >thoroughly, looking for any evidence of moth eggs. If I found them, the > > >job would become more extensive. After that, there would usually be no > > >problem, provided the piano was cleaned once in a while. > > > > > >Tuners Supply Company used to have a moth proofing liquid called X-Hale. > > >Fumes from that stuff were so strong they would make your eyes > > burn. There > > >was no water in it. One would soak the insides of the piano > > with it, close > > >it up, and cover it for 24 hours. No live critters or eggs would be left > > >after that, and the funes would soon dissipate after opening the > > piano back > > >up. > > > > > >That was 60 years ago. I don't have that problem now. Israel, > > do you find > > >the damage in several pianos? If so, there is a common source of these > > >critters, and perhaps you should get the pest control people involved. > > >Clean the pianos out, and replace anything that shows any sign of critter > > >gnawing. You don't want to leave any critter eggs in there. > > > > > >Good Luck, Jim Ellis > > > > > > Jim, > > > > Thanks for the information. We found the problem in several pianos - > > but only in Asian ones: Yamahas and the Korean Kohler & Campbells, > > all about 10 years old. No problems with American pianos - and we do > > have lots of much older Steinways, Baldwins, Wurlitzers and Everetts > > at the school. So we suspect that the critters are imported with the > > pianos from the source country and are not a local infestation. I > > hear that this is common. Since there are no wool furnishings around > > here - curtains, stuffed chairs, carpets, etc. - I don't see how > > these critters would spread from piano to piano. Add I don't see > > moths flying around. But then there is the theater department on the > > other end of the building - costume shop, wardrobe, prop storage... > > Hmm... Maybe I should check with them about moth damage in their stuff... > > > > Yamaha sent us a bunch of replacement punchings free - but I hesitate > > to put them in pianos, since they might be the source of the > > infestation... Maybe fumigating them with or dipping them in one of > > the suggested substances before use might be a good idea? > > > > Israel Stein. > > > > > > > > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC