..what is..

[Gene Roe]

Phil Bondi wrote:

> ..the proper mixture of Garfields to Alcohol?..was it 4-1?..
>
> ..i gotta do a Square in the morning on the dealer floor..the cabinet was
> re-finished very nicely..unfortunatly, the guts are original, and it's not
> holding the slightest turn on the tuning pins..they probably haven't been
> turned in 20 years, maybe more..there's *something there* on a few pins, but
> for the most part, i need to do this procedure so the dealer can at least
> present it to a potential customer..as it is right now, it would make a
> lovely computer desk.
>
> ..thanks yet again in advance.
>

  Hi Phil ,  Tuning pin tightener may not be necessary since nearly all of the
squares I deal with have tapered tuning pins. If they have not been pounded down
to China a little tap is usually enough to to make them tunable.Remember most
squares have very low tension compared to a modern piano.
If some of the pins are too low to tap and are still too loose , I find that a
sandpaper shim restores the torque nicely. These instruments were a valuable
contribution to the art of the piano in the 19th century and should be cherished
and preserved whenever possible.  Gene Roe RPT