Interesting. Isn't it the zinc used in the alloy for the Young Chang action brackets that caused the expansion issue? I've heard (and I hope I'm not propagating an inaccuracy) that the alloy was allowed to cool overnight, reheated, cooled, rinse and repeat and that was what caused the expansion. So I guess if you're going to alloy zinc with your lead, don't mix up more than you'll use in one sitting. Confirmation? Rebuttal? Chemists? Paul Bruesch Stillwater, MN <div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 6:08 PM, Kerry Cooper <<a href="mailto:brispiano@optusnet.com.au">brispiano@optusnet.com.au</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> <div style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;padding-top:15px" name="Compose message area"> <div>To coat the lead weights, I have been using shellac since my days as an apprentice in 1963. This works well as a sealant as player techs would know. If the lead has started to oxidize, then it will grow and will need replacing in the future. There has been discussion here in Oz about why in some pianos lead grows and others in the same room do not. When I was an apprentice, i was told to add zinc to the molten lead to stop or slow down this oxidization process. Hope this helps. Kerry Cooper ARPT Brisbane, Australia -------------------------------------------------- From: "Andrew Anderson" <<a>anrebe@gmail.com</a>> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 10:08 PM To: <<a>pianotech@ptg.org</a>> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Lead contamination abatement protocol > > I'm not sure what I can seal the weights themselves with, but will look > for a primer and cut a little hole out of the bottom of a plastic cup and > spray into the cup over the keyleads (after preparing with a little > sanding). > > There is room between the leads and the side of the key, so they have not > expanded yet... Sealing might slow the process, but I will recommend > eventual replacement. > > If anyone has more to add, please do so. > > Thanks, > Andrew Anderson > On Mar 23, 2011, at 8:12 PM, Leslie Bartlett wrote: > >> When does one go "too far" with this stuff. I'm old, and spent my life >> messing with stuff that now I think will kill if you're within a >> thousand >> miles- and the worst they've done to me is a bad heart valve- which >> might >> have been because my mother was exposed to something toxic when she was >> a >> kid. I'm not trying to be too flip, but when I see anti bacterial >> stuff at >> the grocery door, and realize I'm one of the "bad people" who don't use >> such >> stuff, it just seems a little much. >> Les Bartlett >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: <a>pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" target="_blank">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On >> Behalf >> Of Andrew Anderson >> Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 3:09 PM >> >> The subject is a Wurlitzer from Korea. Silver dust under the weights >> in the keys on the keybed and keyframe. Leads are not protruding out >> of the key (yet). >> >> Do you moist wipe off the loose stuff, bag the towels, and than seal >> the lead from the air with some sort of paint/sealer? >> >> Is replacement necessary? >> >> Ideas? >> >> Andrew Anderson </div></div> </blockquote></div>