TIP:Pin Polishing (was b/r polishing)

[harvey]

I'd like to paraphrase what I believe to be Barry's thought, and extend the
theme.

I have dedicated front, balance and capstan cleaning devices that were made
when I had access to a machine lathe. One day, with a deadline (of course),
I couldn't find my capstan cleaner, and I was -not- going to do this job
manually. Perhaps my work-around will provide some idea seeds...

Find your "Travis Tuning Pin & Coil Cleaner". This is the tool you bought
and used once for its intended purpose. You used it on a Wurlitzer where
the beckets continued outside the opposite side of the tuning pin. After
cleaning up the resulting rubber shards from that job, you promptly buried
the tool in the back of a drawer. Dig it out (it'll be the small, roundish
object at the very back). Leave the rubber inserts in the drawer, or toss
'em, since they will have dry-rotted since 1972.

CAPSTAN CLEANER
- Insert a thick, leather, friction fitted punching into the business end
of the TTP&CC. Rationale: building up 'bottom' area of coil cleaner with
firm yet resilient surface.
- Add two "treated" balance rail punchings on top of the leather;
- Chuck the device into your drill and go for it.
- When one cloth punching becomes nasty, reverse and use opposite side.
- When back of first punching becomes nasty, flip entire "sandwich" over
and repeat.
Note: for efficiency, I prefer to go straight through from 1~44 without
stopping to switch punchings, -then-, flip the punching and go from 44~88,
and repeat, alternating directions, until capstans are sufficiently
polished. One or more new 'sets' of punchings could easily be required
before you achieve satisfactory results.
CAUTION: Keep steady, straight-down motion in use. Otherwise, the sides of
the TTP&CC -will- burr the edges of the capstan.

BALANCE RAIL PIN CLEANER:
- Insert custom-sized, friction fitted scrap hammer felt (as described by
K. Jankura) into TTP&CC.
- Optionally, "lube" the hole in the scrap hammer felt with your choice of
polish; (I personally hate Brasso -- more later). Remember that felt
(alone) is quite abrasive.
- Chuck the device into your drill and go for it.
NOTE: unlike the capstan treatment, allowing the device to "waffle" by
gently rocking the drill motor from side to side is helpful in this instance.

FRONT RAIL CLEANER:
- The TTP&CC method works, but not satisfactorily.

OTHER:
Same device, used for polishing grand keyframe -guide- pins. Don't forget
to tighten the screws on the bottom of the keyframe... but I digress.

RECIPE FOR TREATED PUNCHINGS
As mentioned, I dislike Brasso (tm) for a number of reasons. I don't know
whether it is still available, but I prefer 'Tarni-Shield', a product of
3M, for this application. This is a mild, white, non-offensive liquid
polish, available in a plastic bottle. Following is my method for
pre-preparing punchings:

- "waste" an entire package (or more) of NEW, THICK balance rail punchings;
- using compressed air, blow the excess fluff ('cooties') off the
punchings, using a sieve/strainer with cover, OR, one of the zippered bags
used for fine washables;
- place the punchings in a suitable small jar or bowl;
- add enough liquid polish to thoroughly cover all punchings, the objective
is to...
- super-saturate the punchings by poking/dunking/stirring/mixing/whatever
works;
- remove the wet punchings, and lay out (individually, not stacked) on
waxed paper or foil until thoroughly dry. Flip them over to assure thorough
drying. Patience is a virtue...;
[Result: punchings permeated with fine polishing agent, minus the liquid
carrier]
- store the prepared punchings in a Zip-Loc bag until needed, and don't be
concerned over any resulting 'dusting' in the bag.

End of treatise. Standard disclaimer -- YMMV.


At 05:41 PM 1/31/99 +0000, Barry wrote:
>I use the coil cleaning kit works well on bat pins and balance pins for
>the balance pins I thread some off cuts of cloth or felt into the rubber
>hose to make the hole smaller. 
>I think Renner do one as well. 
[cut]

Jim Harvey, RPT
Greenwood, SC
harvey@greenwood.net
________________________
 -- someone who's been in the field too long.