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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>The Ross Clan, has increased the gene pool around
the world.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I am originally from Scotland, left there in 1951,
when I was 13.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV>John Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A
href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV>
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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=akwright@btopenworld.com href="mailto:akwright@btopenworld.com">Allen
Wright</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, May 18, 2007 9:54 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: how about? for damper
felts</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>funny you should bring this up, John. Today as I was sizing
newly installed damper guide bushings with my soldering iron tip, I made the
mental note to myself to get a rheostat, because I had to be overly cautious
about how long the tip spent in the bushing before black bits began to appear
on the cloth (!) You're recommendation has been duly noted and will be acted
upon.
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Allen</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>p.s. btw, by coincidence, my boss (the National Tech Manager) at
Steinway London is named John Ross. Are you sure you're not some sort of
alter-ego?! : )</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On 19 May 2007, at 01:07, JOHN ROSS wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2">
<DIV><STRONG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Use a
rheostat to lower the operating temperature of the soldering
iron.</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">An
inexpensive one can be fabricated, using a light dimmer switch, since the
wattage is low.</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Use
trial and error to find the spot, and mark it.</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The
same system, can be made to lower the temperature of the iron, if used with
the hammer smoothing head.</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV>John Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A
href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</SPAN></A></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 13px arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">----- Original Message
-----</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 13px arial; font-color: black"><B
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">
</SPAN><A title=akwright@btopenworld.com
href="mailto:akwright@btopenworld.com"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); FONT-FAMILY: arial; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline">Allen
Wright</SPAN></A><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 13px arial"><B
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">To:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">
</SPAN><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); FONT-FAMILY: arial; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline">Pianotech
List</SPAN></A><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 13px arial"><B
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">Sent:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">
Friday, May 18, 2007 8:36 PM</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 13px arial"><B
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">Subject:</SPAN></B><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"> Re:
how about? for damper felts</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>oh yes, Terry, I've heard people mention this felt wedge
technique: so, should I presume that you have 88 little wedges for all the
keys? This technique sounds like it might be even more focused than just
soaking the bushings. I like the brass caul/soldering iron idea - I'll
have to make a tip like that for my soldering iron. Sounds like the
cat's meow...
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Cheers,</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Allen Wright, RPT</DIV>
<DIV>London, UK
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On 19 May 2007, at 00:04, Farrell wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; orphans: 2; widows: 2">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I've never tried wallpaper remover with water
- although I hear very good results are had with that combo. I have
always used denatured alcohol & water - about 50/50 on both damper
felts and key bushing felts. Once the felt has been wetted, one can
switch to straight water. The 50/50 initial ratio seems to not be
critical at all. If hide glue had been used, after several hours of
soaking, felt simply falls off - no cutting, tugging, scraping - no
nothing - felt simply falls off.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For white-type glue in key bushings, I have
soaked with alcohol/water overnight. I place small wedges of dense felt
in the mortise to hold moisture right at the key bushings. Then I hit
each bushing with a very quick application of a dedicated hot key
bushing ironing brass piece in the soldering iron. The quick blast of
heat on the soaked bushing gives the bushing glue a shot of steam
and makes them all but fall out. Unfortunately there remains some
glue residue on the wood. :-(</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT size=3><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I wish it were a law to only used hot hide
glue on key bushings. Pa-foo-ee on anyone that
doesn't.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></SPAN><FONT
size=5><STRONG
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
;-)</SPAN></SPAN></STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Terry Farrell</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 13px arial"><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial">----- Original Message
-----</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 13px arial; font-color: black"><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"></SPAN><SPAN
class=Apple-style-span
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial"></SPAN> </DIV>While
we're on this subject - I just introduced the notion of using a damper
felt removal solution (diluted wallpaper remover and vinegar) rather
than the manly (or womanly) slicing off and sanding of old felts (the
old-fashioned method they've been using here), into the milieu of the
Steinway London Restoration Centre, where I've been working for the
last few months. Lightbulbs went on above heads when they realized how
much time they won't be wasting anymore if they incorporate this
cheeky American technique : )
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>I've always figured that the ratios of the different ingredients
were not particularly crucial - just a well-diluted solution. Does
anyone have any comments on that? Is the vinegar really necessary? I
think my solution morphed over the years from one including
alcohol-water-vinegar to the present one, for vaguely remembered
reasons....</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>For keybushing removal here, they've been using pure "meths'",
which as far as i can tell is a mix of ethanol and methanol (yikes -
isn't that toxic?) and lots of tugging and slicing. I think the
American solution will be an improvement with that, as well.</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>I know: steam and wet cloth works very well on key bushings also,
but that's probably a little too radical too present here. </DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>I'd be curious to hear if there are any other ideas on glue
softening solutions. This one works best with hide glue, naturally.
Anybody have a solution for white and other more stubborn glues?</DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Sincerely, </DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV>
<DIV>Allen Wright, RPT</DIV>
<DIV>London, UK</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR
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