Hi, Richard -- Verdigris or dampness -- don't forget nickel-plated center pins where the plating is failing as a source of slow or seized notes. Inspection of the old pin under magnification tells the story, with score marks and brass showing through. In spite of the fragments of plating that must still be lodged in the bushing, I have found that repinning with a plain brass pin does the trick. If you could part with the details of your "Dripolator" and procedure for "shrinking the action" it would be helpful. The benign climate of the far west has prevented me from learning to treat centers with liquids while they are still on the action, and I've hesitated to try to figure it out for myself for fear of making a royal mess. (hmmmm, known to photographers? Could we be talking Photoflo? "surfactant", like alcohol ...) Other people's application methods (for Protek or a shrinking solution) from the high-humidity "sticky country" would also be welcome. Sometimes we get a thoroughly seized piano refugee ... I take it we are not talking about a stellar quality of pianos here? Susan Green-in-Oregon (It's very green in Oregon ...) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ At 12:48 AM 9/20/97 -0500, you wrote: >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 >---------- Susan Kline P.O. Box 1651 Philomath, OR 97370 skline@proaxis.com "As long as you have your feet on the ground, your head is perfectly safe in the clouds." -- Ashleigh Brilliant
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC