string cleaning

[Rob Gagnon]

Stainless Steel wool can usually be found in quality boating supply stores
such
as West Marine.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of BSimon1234@AOL.COM
> Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 1999 6:27 AM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: string cleaning
>
>
> John Formsma wrote;
>
> <<cleaning treble strings ... My first thought is to use super
> fine (#0000)
> steel
> wool...and...found a recommendation to use 3M paint stripping
> pads instead of
> steel wool to clean bass strings.   Any thoughts?>>
>
> Yes.
>
> If the 3M pads you describe are the ones with which I am
> familiar, they are
> an open plastic "wool" felt with an embedded grit.  Very high quality and
> excellent for some things, but not everything.  They are plastic
> sandpaper,
> essentially, and leave a sandpaper kind of effect.
>
> Some people apparently like the look of bass strings that have
> been sanded
> with fine emery paper. I don't.  They are more "copper colored," but look
> sandblasted and non-reflective. It is simply cheap and easy to
> do, but not up
> to "best practice" standard.  I have seen some pianos where some
> technician
> even sanded the treble strings, causing real and serious damage.
> The strings
> do show up better!
>
> I suggest that you try #0000 steel wool ( more on stainless steel
> wool versus
> bronze wool later) for the treble strings.  It has a shearing,
> planing action
> on dirt which is provided by thousands of sharp little knife-like
> fibers, not
> an abrasive grit type action.
>
> If you live in an area of high humidity, the tiny fibers lost
> during cleaning
> can be a major problem if they later rust. This looks like little
> tiny brown
> worms or threads, stuck here and there, sometimes permanently
> staining wood
> and varnish.
>
> Boatyards use a lot of bronze wool, never steel wool, when they are
> refinishing teak, brass, etc.,  for they know that in a marine
> environment
> the lost steel fibers will later turn rust and turn brown, even
> when buried
> in several coats of varnish.
>
> Years ago I had one stainless steel wool pad.  Alas, it didn't
> last forever,
> and I have never again seen it or heard of where one could get
> it.  Sitting
> in water it did not rust, and it apparently beat bronze wool for hardness
> (sharpness) and longevity, and any lost fibers would not turn green, like
> bronze wool can in a marine environment.
>
> Anyway, try bronze wool, real fine and rubbing it longitudinally,
> on the bass
> strings.
>
> HOWEVER - My favorite way to clean bass strings is to put a very
> fine brass
> or steel wire ( about  .008"  ??? wires) wheel, perhaps 1" to 1.5" in
> diameter, in a drill and spin it perpendicular to the length of
> the strings.
> Run the drill itself longitudinally along the strings, with the
> wheel nestled
> in the groove between two bass strings.  The wires get down into the
> "grooves,"  getting out all the dirt and really polishing the
> copper. Makes
> the strings look almost brand new.
>
> Best of luck, - and if you find a source of stainless steel wool
> pads, please
> let me know.
>
> Sincerely,
> Bill Simon
> Phoenix
>