[CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings

[Keith Roberts]

Do it when you reheat your coffee. You can fit more than one thing in there
at a time.

KR

On 5/13/07, Barbara Richmond <piano57 at insightbb.com> wrote:
>
> 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.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20070513/63424b97/attachment.html