<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <title>Message</title> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I would remove them and replace them with new lead.  Once they start oxidizing they tend to start expanding and soon they will start rubbing on the adjacent keys and/or splitting the keys.  Don’t’ make the customer’s problem yours.  Replacing the lead is still a lot cheaper than replacing the piano. </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <div> <p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt; color:navy'>David Love<br> davidlovepianos@comcast.net<br> www.davidlovepianos.com</span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'> </span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Geoff Sykes<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, September 23, 2007 3:25 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Pianotech@Ptg. Org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Decomposing key leads</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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. </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>New, 2005 or 2006 Hobart M. Cable upright, (OH-09 A). </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>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?</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>-- Geoff Sykes</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>-- Los Angeles</span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>