Buffing Piano Hinges

[Regi Hedahl]

How do you buff the section of the piano hinge next to the knuckle?

Regi Hedahl

piano...@gmail.com

[Mike Spalding]

Flitz, rag, elbow grease.

[Paul McCloud]

Knuckle? Not sure what that is, but anyway I use Brasso usually. It has chemical action as well as abrasives. If the brass is coated, you'll have to remove the coating first. If it's really bad, I'll use steel wool. If I can remove it, I'll clean it off with a brass dip (formula in the archives).
Paul McCloud
San Diego

[Douglas Gregg]

I have tried all the polishes out there and White Diamond beats them
all hands down for any metal or plastic. It will make quick work of it
and last for at least a year without lacquer. It comes from a small
company that does no advertising and is in a little town in Iowa.
Boone, Iowa. It also happens to be the home of Chuck of Small Shop,
Big Results in the Journal.

Doug Gregg

[lcl...@yahoo.com]

I do it on a wheel with the right polish. Automotive polishes (Turtle Wax pumice or rottenstone) are also good for this, and rinse off easily later. I use Scotch-brite or steel wool, sometimes, if not concerned about the resultant "satin" finish, but strip with paint remover if lacquered, and want to keep shiny. (Then Turtle wax polishes.) Thumpe Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad

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From: Regi Hedahl <piano...@gmail.com>;
To: <pian...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: [pianotech] Buffing Piano Hinges
Sent: Tue, Oct 22, 2013 11:27:12 PM

[Regi Hedahl]

The knuckle is the part of the hinge that hinges.  I was wondering if anyone had any tricks on polishing in that tight space.

Regi Hedahl

piano...@gmail.com

[Larry Fisher RPT]

Hi Regi,  I've used a buffing wheel and red rouge on hinges with good success. The wheel gets down in the knuckle corner well enough to make it all look new again. As I recall, I fold the hinge over to the limit that makes the entire hinge look like a long V. The edge of the wheel digs out the oxidation quite nicely. Keeping the hinge or anything brass for that matter, too long in one spot will create a "dent" or "void" or "slight lack of material" that takes even longer to eliminate so keep it moving as you go. There is a tendency around the screw holes for the process to be a bit stubborn but with time the shine comes through. In a shop that didn't have a wheel, I laid the hinge on a flat surface lined with newspaper or butcher paper and used soft scrub with 0000 steel wool. I then followed with automotive buffing compound and a cotton cloth. This latter process helped build my pectoral muscles and made me look really macho!! Thirsty to!! I went out and bought a tight fitting T shirt and went to the local pub to see if .... oh never mind.

[Regi Hedahl]

Larry,

Your procedure is exactly how I do it.  However, I'm limited on how close I can get down into the knuckle corner with my buffing wheel.  This particular hinge is very visible so it must come out perfectly.

Regi Hedahl

piano...@gmail.com

[Jon Page]

I sand the surfaces with 320 grit sandpaper and then 400 grit. Then I use grey Scotch Brite to finish the patine. hen two coats of wax, Rain Dance Paste Wax.

[Jon Page]

That's patina.

[Don]

Hi,

466 pages--I've not read it yet.

http://www.logosfoundation.org/kursus/The%20Science%20of%20String%20Instruments.pdf

Has anyone else? Was it worth the read?

 

Regards,
Don Rose

[Isaac OLEG]

once buffled, a specific lacquer for brass parts (Nitro based, fro what I know) it flows/level very well even if brushed and harden.

cleanup with some solvent to be sure no wax residu from the buffing paste stay.

A good tip if you use non sewed cotton disks is to make 2 round parts in heavy carboard to hold the disks together better, it can go almost to the surface of the disks, and be cut later when they wear.

(tip given by the polishing speciality shop !) 

Some brass products are active even with a light coating, sometime it is not necessary to buff.

Any of those liquid shine products must be cleaned well, traditionally some white powder (white de Meudon, many other names should be some sort of calcium carbonate)  is used to absorb all resting fluids, and the cloth hand rubbing take all out (after a little brushing with a dry brush) . 

[Regi Hedahl]

Thanks for the replies.  To get into the corners and crevices, I used a small felt polisher in my Dremel (knock off).  I used Brasso and set the machine to a very slow speed.  It polished very quickly.

Regi Hedahl

piano...@gmail.com