Decomposing key leads

[Farrell]

Hi Geoff,

Only now after re-reading your original post do I realize that this is a nearly-new piano. I also now see that the leads have not expanded, but rather are just showing initial signs of oxidation.

I agree with Wim that it is not likely that the dealer or manufacturer will do anything for the situation. From their viewpoint: "Hey, the keys aren't sticking are they? So you don't have a problem, right?"

As far as health & safety for the kids goes, I'd view this situation like one does for asbestos: Isolate it. The back of the keys (I trust any leads are on the rear half of the keys) are fairly isolated from the pianists environment by the keybed and the fallboard. Being that there is no source of airflow to blow the powdered lead out from that area, I doubt it poses a significant risk. Seems they have a better chance of exposure to lead from their Barbie dolls or Thomas choo-choo toys.

In this particular case the suggestions of some to coat the exterior of the leads may indeed reduce exposure chance. Also, if there is any worry about it, David Love's suggestion to just replace the leads and be done with it is certainly a valid solution - perhaps the best - it is really not a major job.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
>I have found that Hobart M. Cable is currently being made by America Sejung
> Corp. They are located in Canada, and the piano is manufactured in either
> China or Korea. The store they purchased it from pretty much ignored their
> requests for repairs that were essentially just a need for initial new piano
> prep, and refused to tune the piano for them after delivery. Which is why
> they called me in the first place.
> 
> I think it will be quite some time before the leads actually expand and
> cause difficulty. This is, after all, a "new" piano. I think my immediate
> concern was the knowledge that these people have three young children and I
> was concerned about the probably remote dangers of exposure to this
> decomposing/oxidizing lead. Thanks to all for the feedback. I don't see any
> little piles of dust yet. Just the light powdery beginnings on the ends of
> the leads themselves. I think I will just watch the situation for a while
> and see how it progresses before I even mention the situation to them. I
> may, however, try to talk to someone at the store about the situation just
> to see if warranty service will even cover this. And if so, how? Good
> suggestion.
> 
> -- Geoff Sykes
> -- Los Angeles
 
> -----Original Message-----
> Isn't the piano still under warranty?
> 
> Annie Grieshop
> 
>> I know that the subject of decomposing key leads has been brought up 
>> here before, but a search of the archives brought up no results.
>>
>> New, 2005 or 2006 Hobart M. Cable upright, (OH-09 A).
>>
>> I noticed on the last tuning of this piano that all the key leads are 
>> starting to get covered over with that white fluffy powder that 
>> indicates decomposition. My first thought was that the owners of this 
>> inexpensive piano would never go for key lead replacement. Besides, 
>> it's probably too soon in the process to think in that direction. My 
>> next thought was to take all the keys out and soft-wire brush the 
>> powder off the ends of the leads and then seal them off with some 
>> clear spray paint of some kind. Lacquer, Rust-O-Leum, AquaNet, 
>> whatever. Anything to hopefully stall the process. And
>> then I realized that the wiser thing to do would be to bring the subject
>> up
>> here first. So, any thoughts? Any suggestions?
>>
>> -- Geoff Sykes
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