Oxidizing Pressure Bar

[Ron Nossaman]

>      Just encountered a  1959 Heller console, (Aeolian/Winter), where
>the pressure bar was white yellowish chalk which rubbed right away, like
>fine talc.  Under this was porous and oxidized, but (hopefully) still
>solid.   Is this just the plating or is the whole bar ceasing to exist?

Hi Mike, It's just the plating - localized entropy. I doubt it was a
planned corrosion diversion, considering the requirement for the "planning"
part in details like that where so little is evident in the rest of the
product. Probably got a good deal in large quantity when they built it. It
was shiny at the time, so what the heck. It's ugly now, but shouldn't hurt
anything as long as no one swings it around and breaks a lamp or something.
It's future should be a graceful continuation of it's past, lying in wait
in the dark until the next tuning, or the heat death of the universe
(whichever comes first), at which time it will either confuse the next guy
- or it won't matter. 


Ron N