Cleaning piano plates

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Withindale
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Cleaning piano plates

Post by Withindale »

Is anyone able to suggest a good way to clean off the grime that accumulates on the gilded surface of piano plates between tuning pins and under strings, or is it better to leave well alone until a rebuild (which may be a long way off)?

Thank you for any suggestions.
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Colin Nicholson
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Re: Cleaning piano plates

Post by Colin Nicholson »

There are several different ways, depending on the condition of the gold frame, if coated in clear lacquer, and if there are wrest pin bushings??.... if none of those, then use compressed air and a DRY toothbrush - you can buy air in cans from most PC stores (for cleaning motherboards etc). For cleaning under the strings, use a soundboard steel & cloth.
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Bob Pierce
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Re: Cleaning piano plates

Post by Bob Pierce »

Ask your tuner to do this as part of your tuning/service.
Withindale
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Re: Cleaning piano plates

Post by Withindale »

Bob Pierce wrote:Ask your tuner to do this as part of your tuning/service.
Great idea.

Air, as Colin suggested, from a compressor got rid of the loose stuff and those little toothbrushes shifted much of the grime between the agraffes.
Last edited by Withindale on 21 Jan 2013, 19:47, edited 1 time in total.
vernon
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Re: Cleaning piano plates

Post by vernon »

Try not to use your compressor in someone's front room
Our mission in life is to tune customers--not pianos.

Any fool can make a piano-- it needs a tuner to put the music in it

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Withindale
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Re: Cleaning piano plates

Post by Withindale »

vernon wrote:Try not to use your compressor in someone's front room
It was raining and the piano was not so easy to move but no one was looking and it was fun. :)

Actually, the instrument had been pretty well cleaned so there was precious little left for the air to shift.
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