<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Dave,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not dealing with the presumed salt deposition as such, but with "crusty" dampers in general, I have had varying degrees of success in stroking the damper face with a disposal nail file and/or removing the action and applying a combination of water and fabric softner, although it is not easy to control the effects of the latter. Quite often, if there is just a hearty amount of "zinging" in the sound as the damper returns, the nail file stroking really helps. And only perhaps half a dozen light strokes at that. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robin Blankenship</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=piannaman@aol.com href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 20, 2006 9:24 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> softening crusty dampers</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> Hi folks,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>A couple of days ago, I worked on a piano that has spent a good portions of it's life down by the old seashore.  There's rust in various places, but nothing is disintegrating yet.  It's a '70s aeolian console (aaargh!).</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The most annoying problem, at least to the customer, is the buzzing sound created when the dampers seat on the strings.  The crust that has accumulated over time by the salt sea air has hardened the dampers considerably.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I've been wondering if anyone on this list has tried the various solutions and/or voicing techniques that are commonly used on hammers to deal with this.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My thoughts:  squeeze, needle, file.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Other possibilites:  alcohol-water, fabric softener, steam</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>It isn't worth doing a damper replacement, IMHO.  That would probably cost her more than she paid for the pso.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Any comments or ideas?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV style="CLEAR: both">Dave Stahl<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR></DIV> <DIV class=AOLPromoFooter> <HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> <A href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/1615326657x4311227241x4298082137/aol?redir=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eaol%2Ecom%2Fnewaol" target=_blank><B>Check out the new AOL</B></A>. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>