WD-40

[BSimon1234@aol.com]

Thought I would throw in my two cents an the use of WD-40.

The only place on a piano I ever use WD-40 is on the let-off regulating rail
of big old upright pianos, where the threaded stems of the regulating buttons
are so rusted in place that they break before moving.  I run a syringe or a
saturated pipe cleaner along the stems of the buttons, wait a few minutes, and
then regulate. I have done this for 20 years and even a few days  later I can
detect no "residue" or adverse effects of the treatment, and the stems still
regulate very well. Ten years later they still regulate well.

A technician I learned from used a  pipe cleaner lightly wetted with WD-40 to
run along the strings at the capo bar before a tuning, but only when there was
a serious rust problem and the strings were more or less rusted to it. He felt
that the treatment eliminated a lot of string breakage during the pitch raise.
I agree with him. There seemed to be no adverse effect, and most of it
evaporated in a minute or two. I would use it today, but in Arizona I do not
see to many strings rusted to capo bars.

By the way, I have found it to be a neat trick to stick a pipe cleaner into
the tip of the small can. It stays there, regulating the output when the can
is gently squeezed, and allows a paint brush effect. ( then you throw it away
and cap the can)


B. Simon
Phoenix