cleaning bass strings

[Douglas Gregg]

Paul,
I have done some experiments cleaning bass strings. This was mainly to
remove cigarette tar that causes windings to be glued together and
sound dead.

I came up with two methods. The first was rather by accident. I had
intentionally put a drop of CA glue on the end of the winding of a
bass string that would not stop buzzing with the usual methods of
crimping the winding and twisting the string. The CA did an amazing
job of killing the string. (This was, by the way, my personal 1910
upright, and I was willing to replace the string after this
experiment). Nothing dissolves CA glue, I found, so I heated this
string with a torch. the CA lit up like a candle and burned off. The
string no longer had a buzz and sounded better. I heated more of the
string and then the whole string. It was like a new string then. I
proceeded to heat all the rest of the bass strings then. They still
sound good after 10 years. I have done the torch treatment on a number
of pianos since. You do have to be quite careful not to scorch the
bridge or soundboard. I use some aluminum flashing as a heat
deflector. In your case. oil will smoke off at about the same
temperature as tar, around 250-300 F. You won't damage the strings or
temper until you exceed 500-600 F. So it might be worth a try to torch
the strings on this piano. The tenor strings heat quickly with a
torch. I move back and forth quickly along the strings, two at a time,
and watch for the copper to get an old gold color and stop. Oh, I
start this procedure by wire brushing the strings to a bright copper
color with a fine rotary brush on a drill so I can watch for this
color change. Go gently, there is a slight delayed reaction and it is
easy to overheat a string and turn it blue. That will kill the string.

My second method is more labor intensive but worked even better. I
took out all the bass strings and bundled them like a new set. I put
them in an enamel bucket, and covered them with a mixture of vinegar
and LimeAway 50:50 and some TSP (detergent, Mr. Clean will do). Take
them OUTSIDE on a gas grill or hot plate and bring the mixture to a
boil. Let stand until cool. Pour off and save the mixture for next
time. Rinse multiple times in water and dry the strings in a PREHEATED
oven at 250F. Ovens tend to overshoot, so preheat it first. Put the
strings back in the piano and they will be like new.

I should say that I have tried solvents on strings but they don't
penetrate enough unless you really soak them with solvent. In the
case of Joe's suggestions, alcohol would have little effect on oil.
Gasoline would, but I would not recommend that for a variety of
reasons. DMSO is expensive and hazardous since it penetrates skin and
carries all kinds of things with it.

The oil will also soften the hammer felt and voice them down a lot.
The hammers will likely respond to voicing up with acetone with a
dissolved key cap in the usual way.

The steel strings can be cleaned fairly easily with some acetone on a rag.

I hope this helps. I have submitted this as an article to PTG but need
to supply more photos. I hope to get it published soon. It really
works.

Douglas Gregg

[Ron Nossaman]

On 5/9/2015 9:23 AM, Douglas Gregg wrote:
> DMSO is expensive and hazardous since it penetrates skin and
> carries all kinds of things with it.

Costs about $8 a pint at farm supply places. I was at Atwoods yesterday
getting big gauge needles for glue application, and checked the DMSO.
But yes, it is hazardous to slop around in with unknown contaminants as
a cleaner.
Ron N

[Joseph Garrett]

When working with any "hazardous substance" we should have the common sense to protect ourselves. (That includes CA glue, solvents, whatever!)Gloves, breathing apparatus, eye protection? We should all have this safety factor in the forefront of our minds.
DMSO was, originally, developed to thoroughly clean metal. It cleans so well that it makes steel very susceptible to corrosion! The $ factor should not enter into the equation imo. However, in this case, the oil contamination in the wood and action parts probably negates any attempt to bring the piano back to life. Sad but true. We do need to keep reality in mind as well. (we can't fix everything!<G>)
Best,
Joe


Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[Ron Nossaman]

On 5/9/2015 11:08 AM, Joseph Garrett wrote:
> However, in this case, the
> oil contamination in the wood and action parts probably negates any
> attempt to bring the piano back to life. Sad but true. We do need to
> keep reality in mind as well. (we can't fix everything!<G>)

Nor should we try to. Many years ago, I got a call from a local music
store to go look at a piano for them. A new Yamaha console had a "damper
squeak", and their tuner had rocked the action forward and hosed the
action and strings down with WD-40. He must have used an entire can.
Problem was, the squeak was still there, and would I go fix it. So I
went, and condemned the piano. Their store tuning cost them a new piano.
That's the same customer I did a "buzz" service call later on the
replacement piano and found the bathroom heating duct in the wall behind
the piano to be the source of the buzz. That was fun, explaining what
the noise was as she bitched about what junk these pianos were. I put a
sheetrock screw into the duct and joist, and fixed the piano buzz. She
couldn't be fixed, and I didn't try.
Ron N

[Douglas Gregg]

For those thinking of using DMSO as a cleaning agent, be aware that it
penetrates almost anything, including latex gloves. You should use
only butyl rubber gloves and preferably double glove.

Some years ago, I posted a horse that had been treated for a tendon
strain with a hot plaster of unknown content. It didn't work, so the
owner told the groom to rub down the leg with DMSO that is readily
available at the Farm Supply store for such use. He did. The horse
died with massive renal necrosis. The kidneys were totally wiped out.
The groom nearly died too. The plaster had contained a mercury
compound that was carried through the skin. It normally would not
penetrate skin but the DMSO very effectively carried it into both the
horse and the groom. The groom also had been wearing rubber gloves,
probably latex. Be careful with that stuff. I have it and use it but
with great caution for medical uses. It is a great carrier but know
what you are mixing with it because it is like taking it IV.

Doug Gregg
veterinary pathologist

[Joseph Garrett]

Doug,
Good to know. Thanks for the info. Now, about that medical grade stuff.<G> (which is different than Veterinary grade so I'm told.)

Best,
Joe


Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com


-----Original Message-----
>From: Douglas Gregg <class...@gmail.com>
>Sent: May 9, 2015 10:01 AM
>To: pian...@googlegroups.com
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] cleaning bass strings
>

[Douglas Gregg]

The farm store grade of DMSO has a bit more sulfur and more onion
smell. They work the same.

Always KNOW with what you are mixing it, since you are likely to take
it in readily.
Doug Gregg