Piano Technician Training reply

[pianoman]

Hi Jory,
	My biggest avocation besides woodworking is pipe organs.  Years ago I had
bought a pint of liquid silicone to use on organ leathers.  It was said
that it would keep leather softer and pliable much longer than being
untreated.  I got the can and didn't use any anyway.  Do you buy stuff and
never get around to using it either?  Anyway,  I opened the container and
the silicone had turned into a substance like jelly.  Don't know if mine
was a fluke or what but many still use silicone spray on varying
percentages and have good results.  Go figure.
	Another example, to show that even with scientific test from knowledgeable
people still is not the last word.
	It is said that years ago Kimball hired a piano designer, ( I think it was
Klaus Fenner) to prove/show that Kimball laminated soundboards were not
inferior to solid spruce. (This is how I remember it in my faulty brain)
The idea being that if someone, in their ads would say that laminates are
inferior to solid spruce that Kimball could sue them.  I attended a class
given by this fellow and he showed slides on how he conducted his tests to
prove his point.  He had an unstrung back with no strings and pointed a
speaker at various points along the bridge and made sand patterns of how
the board vibrated with both types of boards.  So he proved that the lam.
board did just as well as the solid spr. bd.  Did he prove it?.  I don't
think so, because there were no strings on the frames.  In the end, it
didn't prove a thing as far as the larger picture is concerned.  There are
some intelligent people who can prove something either way they want and it
still will not necessarily hold true in the real world.  There is lots to
be said for feeling, gut feelings, and hunches just as well as scientific
proof.
James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G.
 St. Louis, MO.
Competent Service since 1962
 Do what is right and do no harm
 Creator of  Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups and Practical Piano  Peripherals

pianoman@inlink.com        

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> From: Jory A. Olson <jory@teleport.com>
> To: 'pianotech@ptg.org'
> Subject: Piano Technician Training
> Date: Saturday, September 12, 1998 1:28 AM
> 
> I've been reading the list for several months now, and I've learned a
great deal about pianos.
> 
> Now I have a suggestion.  From an "outsiders perspective" it seems to me
that there is quite a bit of confusion floating around the list about
various materials.  There was a long thread about glues awhile back. 
Recently there was a discussion about how to remove tape from keys.  Now
there is another WD-40 thread about to take off running.
> 
> Based on what I've read (some of which scares me crazy) I think it would
be a really good idea if the Guild would sponsor a short series of lectures
or articles to fill in the missing knowledge.  This could be done at the
annual PTG conference or in the magazine that you folks always are talking
about.  I would think there would be at least one piano player out there
that is also a chemistry professor of some kind that could put together a
course that would be really helpful.  
> 
> I would think an explanation of the different types of plastic, PMMA,
ABS, PTFE (Teflon) styrene, etc, and there differences would be one
lecture.  Another lecture could be on solvents, acetone, alcohol, MEK,
benzene, and so on.  Yet another lecture could be on glues.  Yet another
could be on lubricants.  Do I hear one on rat poisons and their use in
pianos?  Somewhere in there would be a discussion of verdigris in old
Steinways and why that happened.   I'm sure you get the general idea.
> 
> I also see this being a part of the standard piano technician coursework.
> 
> In the mean time, I MUST say that knowing what I do, I would fire anybody
using WD-40 or any other liquid "lubricant" anywhere near my piano
especially on my action.  I would NEVER put lighter fluid on piano keys.  I
would not use benzene as a solvent because the MSDS (material safety data
sheet) is just too scary.  Same goes for MEK. 
> Here's why:
> 
> 1. WD-40 is not a lubricant.  Period.  It was designed to displace water
in mechanisms like locks so they wouldn't freeze up in cold weather.  Even
locksmiths don't use WD-40 anymore because of the dirt problem.  If you put
WD-40 in a piano action the lower molecular weight components will
evaporate away leaving the heavier, sticky molecules behind to pick up
lint, dust, dirt, and everything else.  For my money, Teflon (PTFE) power,
or a Teflon based spray like Permalon or Triflon is the way to go. 
Graphite is still a winner.  This Protek stuff sure worked well on the
damper mechanism squeak, but I don't think I would use it on any action
parts....to sticky.
> 2. If the piano keys are made of styrene, lighter fluid will dissolve
them.  I'm not even sure how lighter fluid and PMMA (Acrylic) go together. 
I like the Citra-Solv or whatever it's called idea.  A mild citric acid
doesn't sound like it would be too harmful.  Acetone will dissolve styrene
so watch out.  I believe some of the earlier action parts were made of
styrene.
> 3. The data supporting the notion that MEK and benzene are carcinogens
are just too compelling for me.
> 
> I don't mean to be critical, I just see that a series of articles or
lectures would really help you folks in your day-to-day business.  Heck,
I'm still trying to figure out why there are twelve notes to an octave and
not 19, but don't worry, I've got a book that I will explain it to me.
> 
> Jory
> 
>