Brash Failure / cedar shanks

[Isaac Sadigursky]

Hi,Pierre!  The rumors I had heard in the classes are that Cedar is a
natural moth fighter. The proof of that is:drawers in the old furniture
dressers are made from cedar.Cedar shavings are available at the hardware
stores in packages to fight moth in the closets.Things had changed since
1936 introduction of chemicals injected in the felts to fight the moth
infestation in pianos.Just my 2 kopeks of info..  Regards... Isaac

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 9:10 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Brash Failure / cedar shanks


> I suppose one of the reasons cedar was used for shanks in older pianos 
> was for a question of weight ?
> 
> Pierre


That makes sense. And they didn't expect the pianos to last 
longer than cedar shingled roofs (20-30 years), so it probably 
wasn't an unreasonable choice in that context. It's only since 
the cheap, disposable 1950s (when anything old was considered 
trash) that we're left with very little from that time 
(because so much of what was produced in the 50s WAS trash), 
that the surviving old stuff has taken on the mystic glow of 
presumed immortality that the manufacturer never intended.

Speculation, I know.

Ron N