Damp Action Drying

[Richard Moody]

In my opinion it has come down to this.  The sluggish action must be
determined if it is verdigris on the center pins.  If this is the 
case that must be taken care of.  Naptha is the first line.  There
are newer lubircants like Protek that might work.  Lets hear your
results. 
	If there is no corosion and the centers are tight from moisture,
heating the action will produce immediate results.  However two hours
to two months later you may be  back to the same problem. 
	In this case there is the age old remedy of "watering the action"   
However this can only be learned from "the master"  not a mere
discussion of it.  What is involved is the felt bushing swelling from
moisture, or the hole in the flange swelling from moisture or both. 
The procedure of applying alcohol and water to the bushings to shrink
them is well known.   However it is also a process that has to be
observed and practiced under a "master's" supervision.  One person
says watering resulted in loose centers that he had to rebush.  Well
he can say that, but all of the "waterings" I have observed and done
myself have not had this result. That is not to say watering will not
result in loose bushings down the road. (if so though, it was
probably done wrong)  It is a complicated procedure.  If heat alone
will solve the problem, that is the answer.  If naptha or Protek will
do it, then that is the  remedy. 
	However for some tight flange bushings, "watering" really does work.
 The problem is gettng the solution where it belongs and not any
where else, like on the knuckles.  For that I suggest the Moody
Dripolator.  It gets two or three drops in exactly the right place,
without unscrewing the action.  Maybe it should be called Dick's
Dripolator.   Whatever, it works.  Also there is another ingredient
besides alcohol and water which makes this formula really work. 
However it is experimental as far as I know and I would hesitate to
publish this common ingredient (at least to photographers) until
further tests and tests of time are completed.

Dick Moody   
----------
> From: Rob Stuart-Vail <rob_sv@classic.msn.com>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: RE: Damp Action Drying
> Date: Friday, September 19, 1997 2:16 PM
> 
> 
> However, since the advent of Protek, things have "loosened up" a
bit, and some 
> of these constipated actions seem to function a lot better, thus
depriving me 
> of the "fun" of repinning spinet parts.
> 
> Good luck,
> 
> Rob
> 
> ----------
> From: 	owner-pianotech@ptg.org on behalf of Paul McCloud
> Sent: 	Friday, September 19, 1997 1:39 AM
> To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: 	Damp Action Drying
> 
> 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.