Thanks for all the suggestions. I did not use any liquid polish just Scotch-Brite, or steel wool, which is why I am surprised that the tone "died" so badly. The "defubbimator" , brake-part cleaner and twisting seem the "way to go", to me. Thump --- stuka at mindspring.com wrote: > Just boiled one of the unisons on the Frankenpiano, > #G24, a triple-string unison. Boiled it in a big pot > 12-14" in. dia or so, in about 3" of water. The pot > never did get to a big rolling boil, it's a gas > stove and it takes a lot longer to get there than an > electric would. Let it boil for a half-hour, 45 > minutes or so. Pulled the strings out, let them cool > about a minute, then wiped them vigorously, pinching > the string in a cloth and pulling it through over > and over. The first several times this leaves black > dirt/oxide marks in the cloth, then the marks begin > to get lighter. Pulled/wiped the strings until they > didn't leave marks. Re-strung the unison, and yes, > in this case there is obvious improvement over the > two untreated unisons beside it. Much more live and > brilliant, and the attack is not clunky and > over-prominent, but tighter and more blended in with > the decay/sustain, and pleasant. This was rather a > quick-and-dirty trial and it looks like there might > still be some! > room for improvement; all of the discoloration > (and presumably all of the dirt/grime/oxidation) is > not gone, though the unison looks quite pretty and > shiny next to it neighbors. > > I'm also wondering about some of the kitchen methods > for de-oxidizing copper, which tend to run along the > vein of citrus and salt solutions. One example that > seems rather elegant for having the "best of both > worlds" is this: "Vinegar and Salt. If copper is > tarnished, boil article in a pot of water with 1 > tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several > hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry." > The double-duty of boiling and non-abrasive chemical > removal of tarnish seems appealing. I suppose I can > pull out another unison on the FP and try it out > here in a few... > > Matt > > -----Original Message----- > >From: Pianotuner <pianotuner at telenet.be> > >Sent: Jun 28, 2007 1:56 PM > >To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech at ptg.org> > >Subject: RE: Why NOT to polish bass strings....... > > > >Hi Stéphane and all, > > > >About boiling the strings... > >I had very recently a set that needed replacement > on a small grand in my > >shop. I read something about that boiling of string > before, so I tried > >everything in the book and nothing seemed to help, > so I decided to boil them > >and I can assure you that this did not improved > anything to the sound... if > >not made it worse. So I think the only good way is > to either add an extra > >twist in the direction of the copper winding before > putting the string back > >on or just replace the string(s). Indeed rubbing > with steel wool will make > >them shiny but leaves small particles of the steel > wool between the windings > >which in most cases makes the string duller then > before. > > > >Conclusion: The boiling test is done but was not > successful. > > > >Maybe they needed longer boiling time, I boiled > them up to 10 min. > >I think for guitarists it more to get the grease > from their fingers out of > >the windings, but in our case it is dust, corrosion > and aging. > > > >Kind regards, > >Peter Joris > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org > [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf > >Of Stéphane Collin > >Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 12:06 > >To: Pianotech List > >Subject: Re: Why NOT to polish bass strings....... > > > >Hi Gordon. > > > >Indeed, any liquid/chemical mean to polish the bass > string will unfavourably > > > >alter the tone of the bass strings. I don't > understand why this is. My > >guess : it is the minute shocks between the brass > windings that make the > >high partials of the tone. Anything in between the > windings (dirt, paste, > >and all) will damp the minute shocks, thus the high > tones. > >While we are there, may I just mention again what > did work for me and what > >didn't, in order to bring back some brightness in > the tone ? > >Mechanical rubbing of the brass (scotch brite, > steel wool) does improve the > >look, but not the sound. > >Removing the string from the hitch pin, making a > large loop in it and > >running the loop back and forth along the string > has mixed results : > >sometimes some brightness comes back, sometimes not > at all. > >Removing the string from the hitch pin and twisting > it in the direction of > >the winding before putting it back on the hitch can > bring some of the > >brightness back, certainly with many turns, but it > also affects the > >inharmonicity of the string, and after three or > four twists, the sound of > >the string becomes objectionnable. > >Removing just the tension of the string, leaving it > in place, and banging it > > > >hard with heavy hammer strokes works great, nice > results, but one every 4 > >strings so treated breaks when pulled back to > tension. > >Replacing the strings with new ones works like > wonder, assumed that you wait > > > >until the strings have settled. > > > >I heard that guitarists who can't afford buying a > new set of strings (the > >majority of those) have good results boiling the > strings in boiling water. > >I never tried this with a piano string, but am > wanting to hear comments from > > > >those who did. > > > >Hoping to raise some more comments. > > > >Best regards. > > > >Stéphane Collin. > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp at yahoo.com> > >> Was it what I used, or will ANY polishing of > bass > >> strings harm the tone ??? I won't do any more, > until > >> certain. > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC