<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1251"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P> <DIV>I tilted and thoroughly soaked an 1890 piano a while back. When I started tuning, the bass strings--which sounded amazingly okay--nevertheless started breaking: POW!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So we agreed to replace the wound strings. In removing the old strings, I had to remove the pins because the wire was fused (rusted?) in the becket holes on many of them.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, there were crusty clumps of CA (or something) on the old pins that I couldn't even chip off without major effort. If this happens routinely, then the pins are turning with the equivalent of heavy-grit sandpaper scraping the wood!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Seems like an argument for following Susan's advice and going on the light side. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>This could use further study, methinks, or at least reporting here on incidental observations. I won't stop dousing pianos because I've seen some amazing results in saving otherwise dead blocks, but we may be fooling ourselves, a little, on the long term results.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV>Salem, Missouri</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <P></P></BODY></HTML>