Mystery dust (was baking soda)

[harvey]

Bill, whether or not this is the substance I saw, I -really- appreciate
your sharing this information. Apparently I was right in refusing to deal
with it, as well as advising the customer. I will be contacting the client,
and presenting possibilities as delicately as possible.

Related *and* important. I can't relate to Paris green, but I recently saw
another old upright piano that had a "faded" green powder liberally applied
over every internal horizontal surface. Now for the rest of the story.

This piano was being used as a reference (prop) for a chapter program on
estimating. The program was about finding and assessing needed repairs, not
establishing prices for same. Everyone was given a piece of paper, and was
to go through the piano and record what they felt should be done. Later,
each person's discoveries were disclosed to the group.

I never touched the piano, instead wrote "land fill" on my paper. [No
flames accepted on last statement.] I physically pulled one of our visually
impaired members (whom you know) away from the piano, since he had already
begun to use his other senses to evaluate the unit. I then implied caution
to other members about handling the parts by saying "I'm not touching it".
Had I known this before now, I could have used stronger words, or, as
chapter president, even shut down the program! What's curious about this is
that I am apparently (until now) the "outsider" to your information. The
others, being local, should have been cautioning me!

I don't get it. It's one thing to provide services to our clients. However,
between chemicals, solvents and "findings" or "leavings", we have enough
potential hazards to deal with in the normal course of events without
contributing to the list. BTW, it took some head-scratching, but I think I
came up with the respectable family name.

Thanks again!
harvey

At 04:29 PM 9/6/98 -0400, you wrote:
>harvey@greenwood.net writes, in part:
><< Over time, I've seen many pianos containing mystery dust.  >>

>Bill Maxim replied, and entire message left intact:
>While you were gone in California, some South Carolinian got a brainstorn.  I
>don't know if the old Gentleman (now deceased) from the Upstate, who first
>introduced me to the practice, was the inventor.  I won't mention names for
>obvious reasons (you would recognize the respectable family name).  Take
>arsenate of lead powder and mix it with paris green (also an arsenic
compound)
>and apply it under the keys and around the pedal area.  It will not only kill
>moths but when mice run through it, it will make them thirsty and they will
>run out of the piano looking for water before they expire.  Saves on smells.
>
>Arsenate of lead has been off the market for about 3 decades for obvious
>reasons.  When I was a child it was a popular garden insecticide (read:
>poison).  The reason for mixing paris green with it was that most people in
>the 1930s and 1940s would have recognized the compound, and no serious piano
>technician would give away his secrets.  Paris green turned the mixture off-
>white, not easily identified.  Which of course to our thinking is just the
>wrong idea.  Whenever children are watching me work and I find an
unidentified
>powder, I warn them and the parents.
>
>With any chemical compound, nonpoisonous included, I am always concerned over
>the possibility of introducing electrolytic action which might lead to
rust or
>corrosion.
>
>Bill Maxim