On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 11:16 PM, Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net> wrote: > Ok, now that I have your attention, I have a question. It's a question I > ask every couple of years or so on these lists, and no one's come up with an > answer yet. It's up on the wheel again, and with the number of recovering > Baldwin employees extant, I keep hoping someone has a name to put on this > stuff. It's a faux butt and catcher leather found in Baldwin verticals prior > to Corfam. It's the sticky black stuff, that degenerates into stickier black > dust until it wears to the backing, beyond which it generates a weird sort > of web. Maybe it's "Cob"? Does anyone, please, know anything about this evil > stuph? Yea, I know it needs replaced, but I'd really like an ID. > > Thanks, maybe > Ron N > I may be mistaken (according to my wife it's my usual)but I believe it's possible the stuff to which you refer is either standard buckskin or Corfam liberally coated, possible impregnated, with graphite. We had a tech in this area since passed away, who was very liberal with the old Squeak Douse Liquid Graphite that Schaff still sells and it wasn't uncommon to find entire actions sprayed down with the stuff, hammerbutts, flanges, jacks, catchers, etc. I would run across these years after the fact, as he was cutting back his workload and I was picking up his ex-customers. A friend/mentor had discovered that non-chlorinated brake parts cleaner could be used for removal of said graphite, when it began to get gummy in the action, without causing any harm to the action. I would place the action on the pavement with newspaper underneath to soak up what dripped out and use up an entire large(20 oz.) can. The brake cleaner removed the black gummy mess leaving the more familiar looking gray brown of the buckskin or Corfam, whether it WAS either of those materials, I have no idea, I just know it solved my immediate problem. When I saw your question and pics it occurred to me that most of the "heavily graphited" pianos I had run across were Baldwins and perhaps they hadn't had the liquid graphite treatment but instead came that way? I don't know, just a theory. Mike -- I intend to live forever. So far, so good. Steven Wright Michael Magness Magness Piano Service 608-786-4404 www.IFixPianos.com email mike at ifixpianos.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20091203/9e8b2a6d/attachment-0001.htm>
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