Hello John, I learned a little bit about ivories from my dear friend and mentor, Bill Smith. To really bleach the ivories, a much stronger solution of hydrogen peroxide is helpful. What is typically available at the drugstore is a weak 3%. Something more like 30% would do the job. This is the strength that is used in beauty salons. I got some from the person who cuts my hair. She poured me some out of a commercial bottle that was already that strength. Something else to consider is that water, and other liquids that contain water, will soften ivory and warp it unless controlled in some fashion. So when you apply some of these solutions, pay attention to how wet you are getting the ivory. If it is still attached to the keytop, it might be OK, but make sure the glue is not compromised in the process. If you are trying to bleach the ivories off of the keys, then you will have to control how much they warp and curl. It might help to put them in a press or under some sort of weight. (Bill demonstrated that he could tie a knot in an ivory tail when it was wet.) Also, ultraviolet rays help the process, either from a black light or the sun (not always available in the Pacific Northwest, however....:>) And one last reminder....not all ivory is the same. Some are more porous than others and will absorb your solutions differently than a more dense piece. A few sample tests might be prudent. I always find it great fun to cheer up a keyboard by whitening the ivories! I hope this is helpful. jeannie -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of johnparham at piano88.com Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 8:13 PM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: [CAUT] Whitening Ivories List, I am not a CAUT tech, but I monitor this list because of the variety of perspectives and opinions that it offers. The recent discussion of whitening ivories caught my attention. Tonight I experimented with the idea of using hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar that I read about here. This is what I found: 1. First I used a topical solution of hydrogen peroxide (3%)available from a drugstore on an old dirty and dingy-looking ivory head. Hydrogen peroxide by itself seemed to clean the ivory very easily, similar to using acetone to degrease metal, but it left a faint film on the ivory. When I scratched it with my fingernail to simulate playing, I polished the ivory. To finish the cleaning process, therefore, I had to buff the key with a cloth. 2. Next I used 10 grams of 3% hydrogen peroxide with three teaspoons of cream of tartar mixed in. Using a paper towel, I dabbed a little of this mixture onto the ivory and began to polish it. The cream of tartar immediately precipitated out as I polished the ivory. The end result was a very clean, shiny ivory. I did not need to buff the ivory because there was no film on it. I like the results so much that I will use this technique on the old Chickering action I am working on this weekend. I am curious about specific techniques that you all have discovered that work well. What specific ratios of solutions have you experimented with? Should I use less cream of tartar so it does not precipitate out so quickly? Does a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide work better to not just clean but to whiten the ivories as well? Does the cream of tartar act only as an abrasive polishing agent? After using the acidic solution of hydrogen peroxide, is it necessary to neutralize the ivory with a base to prevent any further interaction with residual hydrogen peroxide and the ivory? Thank you for sharing your ideas. -John Parham, RPT Hickory, NC No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.814 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2832 - Release Date: 04/23/10 23:31:00 -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 462 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message
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