how to clean the ivory key from yellow to white

[Peter Burns]

Greetings list- yes Dave that should have read peroxide, and yes, the cheap
fake cotton wool!   I found that if you use cloth of any sort (never tried
cheesecloth tho') to apply, it just gets eaten up by the peroxide. The
cotton wool dries out and goes hard, but fluffs up again when dipped in more
peroxide and regains it's constitution, so you can use one big chunk for
several applications.  I just roll a piece up, hold it in a hand held clamp
and use the same piece until it starts to lose bits.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Nereson" <davner@kaosol.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2003 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: how to clean the ivory key from yellow to white


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Peter Burns" <peter-burns.pianotuner@tesco.net>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 8:01 AM
> Subject: Re: how to clean the ivory key from yellow to white
>
>
> Greetings list, I'm with Dave Nereson on this one Ken.  Hydrochloric acid,
a flourescent strip light and lots of patience are needed to whiten ivory.
I use one strip bulb, which must be left on all the time including
overnight.  Arrange the keys underneath the light and apply the acid with
cotton wool several times a day.  It can take a week or two depending on how
yellow your keys are.
> When they are done, buff the key tops with a buffing wheel if possible, to
make them shine.  Do not get any acid on your skin, so wear gloves.  In the
UK you can only get the acid from a chemist, who will want some proof of
what it will be used for.  Good luck.
>
>     Hydrochloric acid or hydrogen peroxide?  I would think even a weak
solution would eat away at the surface of the key and make it pitted.  The
method in the Journal article is essentially the same as yours, but using
cheesecloth instead of cotton wool (an oxymoron? -- you mean the fake cotton
they use in vitamin bottles, bandages, jewelry boxes, etc.?), and hydrogen
peroxide instead of acid.
>     --Dave N.
>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
>   Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 7:06 AM
>   Subject: re: how to clean the ivory key from yellow to white
>   Hi  !
>   I don't know how to make the ivory key from yellow to white ?
>   anyone can help me !
>   Thanks !!!
>   Piano Tuner Student
>   KenSin
>   Piano Tuner
>
>     Buffing the keys with 4/0 steel wool or sanding them lightly with 320
grit paper, then polishing with white automotive polishing compound, then
buffing will clean them up and make them shine and create the illusion that
they've been lightened a bit.  But to actually get the yellow out, bleaching
is in order.
>     --Dave N.
>
>
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