[CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings

[Barbara Richmond]

Ed,

Maybe I've misunderstood all these years, but aren't you supposed to have 
something with some form of liquid/moisture in a microwave when running it 
or it (the appliance) might be damaged?  Would potential critter eggs supply 
enough moisture?

Barbara Richmond

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed Sutton" <ed440 at mindspring.com>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings


> Annie-
>
> How about microwaving them?
>
> Ed Sutton
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Annie Grieshop" <annie at allthingspiano.com>
> To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 12:33 PM
> Subject: [PHISH] 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.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>