<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Paul:   I’ve used fabric softener on hammers where there was no other choice and it worked quite well.  I haven’t seen any green stuff, nor any corrosion on strings.  I have used a hair dryer to make sure the hammers were dry before I used them.  I wouldn’t want to put the wet stuff on the strings though I don’t have any experience doing that.  It just seemed unnecessary.   On the older instruments – bring them on!  Compare the cost of rebuilding vs replacing and your administrators will think you’re a hero.  The piano dealer probably won’t.  Good pianos made with good materials and rebuilt by competent rebuilders is both less expensive and produces better instruments.  That’s our plan.   dave   <div> ____________________ David M. Porritt, RPT <a href="mailto:dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 4:37 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Experiment success! </div>   Maybe it's just the lack of testing on strings.  I will uncover the string, still in the goo and see what happens.  It does dry and I have put it on at the end of the day.  Maybe that could be a factor.  It is really interesting to see the different opinions on it.  Do the hammers wear out faster with it? Does dry softener still have an effect on the string? Is the hammer felt doomed to fall apart for lack of proper tension? Or are we just flirting with disaster?  Perhaps if schools of music would just realize that more work has to be done to pianos than they thought, maybe funding changes might occur?  I doubt that would happen!  Let us all rally to further educate our schools and faculty that pianos wear out.  I'm working with a piano older than my father (b. 1922).  I think the makers of this fine instrument would be amazed that it lasted this long, let alone that it has been played 10 -1 2 hours per day for the last 20 years or more!  Any more thoughts are surely welcome! Thanks Paul <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td width="40%" valign=top style='width:40.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Jeff Tanner <jtanner@mozart.sc.edu> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org 04/03/2007 03:26 PM <table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td valign=top bgcolor=white style='background:white;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width="59%" valign=top style='width:59.0%;padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> To </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> cc </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>   </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Subject </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'> Re: [CAUT] Experiment success! </td> </tr> </table>   <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>   </td> <td valign=top style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'>   </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> On Apr 3, 2007, at 3:32 PM, Willem Blees wrote: Jeff You'll find no corrosion on the wire. Corrosion happens when metal is  exposed to moisture AND air. So for your experiment to work, dampen  the wire with Downy and let it just sit there. But I'm afraid that  will not give you the results you're looking for anyway. It's the  moisture in the Downey that causes the wire to corrode. Not  necessarily the chemicals.  Wim  I just remember there was some discussion that Downy shouldn't be used around the piano wire because of corrosion that was allegedly attributed to it.  It is very possible that there are also acids in the Downy that could instigate corrosion.  I'm no chemist, and I don't know.  I just recall the discussion and the conclusion was to recommend against using fabric softener.   Jeff Jeff Tanner, RPT University of South Carolina </div> </body> </html>