Fact Or Fiction..

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi Greg,

Nope, it ain't the rosin, it's the glycerin that improves the grip. It
absorbs humidity from the air and swells the block( and rusts the pins and
coils). For this stuff to work, there has to be a reasonable amount of
moisture in the air. At 16% RH in the dead of winter the pins will get loose
again. The rosin, incidentally, is supposed to serve the same function as
varnish dip, or cut threads in tuning pins - to create a buffer between the
pin and the wood that makes for smoother turning, not more friction. I avoid
this gook. It seems to give the customer the impression that the piano is
fixed, and the belief that you will keep it that way forever for pennies
(shudder!). See your 2 cents, and kick a nickle. 

Ron Nossaman


At 02:49 AM 10/6/97 -0400, you wrote:
>In a message dated 97-10-05 22:10:33 EDT, Susan Kline writes:
>
><< The tuning pin tightener I've used is 1/2 alcohol, but the alcohol is not
> what is doing the tightening. The tightening agent is glycerin. The alcohol
> is only there to get the glycerin thin enough to wick into the pinblock, so
> its dissipation is not a problem. >>
>
>Dear list:
>
>What about the powdered resin-you get it at the sporting goods store
>(Batter's rosin) and you crush it into a fine powder and mix it in with the
>denatured alcohol and glycerin. I thought THAT was the ingredient that helps
>for regaining friction? Am I wrong on this one? I have used this mix for
>years and it works really well, though obviously not the preferred repair.
>For the old uprights and cheap spinets it is a miracle cure. And I know a few
>tech's that have even used it on Steinways (E-GADS!!) :-) With excellent
>results obtained for many years so the customer could save up for that nice
>rebuild with a new pinblock.....Just my 2 cents....
>
>Greg Torres
>Tunapiana@aol.com 
>
>
 Ron Nossaman