List: I just finished working on a Kimball console action which was almost frozen due to dampness. The house is only a few blocks from the ocean, and although it is on an inside wall, really soaked up a lot of moisture. My usual "cure" is to dry the action slowly with a hair dryer, and then put Protek on the action centers to keep them from soaking up more moisture. I also put a dehumidifier in the piano. Sometimes I use a shrinking solution ("Honey, I shrunk the action!") of alcohol and water. I have had the unfortunate experience of overshrinking the centers, and had to rebush a whole set of hammer flanges. Since most other places in the U.S. have much more humidity than San Diego, I'd like to know what other techs do to get rid of excess moisture in the action. Am I setting myself up for callbacks by using the hair dryer method? Is the dryer too strong, weakening glue joints, etc.? Should I just repin the action and ignore the moisture in the bushings? Just curious to know what others do. Paul McCloud, RPT San Diego, CA
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