Hi everyone!
Someone just gave me an old piano – about 60 years old. The keys are very yellow and some have permanent ink writing on them. I tried to clean the keys with denatured alcohol with water, but the keys don’t seem to come out clean.
Also, on some of the keys, I tried with less diluted alcohol. I wasn’t paying attention, some of that got on the black keys nearby and rub off a little bit of the black lacquer (?) finish.
I surely could use some help and I would appreciate your advices!!
Many thanks in advance!
Replies
Try rub with wet cotton with sodium bicabonate.Car wax with very fine abrasive works.Dental paste is an altenative.Good luck!( Avoid use a thick cloth,You may scratch the piano.)
Edited 12/11/2004 5:18 am ET by SPOCK
Edited 12/11/2004 5:41 am ET by SPOCK
Edited 12/11/2004 4:54 pm ET by SPOCK
Get the Yellow Pages out and call up a professional piano tuner under--duh--"piano tuners". Those guys know way more than just how to tune; the can usually fully restore a piano. They'll have the answer.
Charlie
My understanding (I have done some organ restoration) is that there is just not much that you can do. The color (yellow or green) will show what type of beastie the ivory came from (Elephant, whale or walrus) and you will likely never get the ink out as ivory is pourous and the color has sunk in. You can get another old junker piano for parts and remove the old ivory (it is a veneer held on with hide glue---use heat to remove) and replace some of the worst ones. You can also replace them with plastic but they just don't feel the same.
If you can get to a part of the white keys that isn't seen from outside, mix some baking soda and denatured alcohol into a past. See if it discolors the ivory back there instead of on the visible part. If it doesn't change anything, try that on the ink. The baking soda will keep the alcohol from evaporating too fast and it may lift out some, or all, of the ink.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
MANY THANKS to everyone for replying to my quest for help! I'll try the tips you gave me!
novice,
FWIW, there is a new cleaning product called a Mr. Clean pad. It's a small sponge that has something in it that removes stains remarkabley well. You dampen it and then wipe down whatever you wish to clean. I used in on a pool cue shaft and it got out chalk and hand oils remarkably well. You may wish to try them. The sell for about $2 for a box of 6.
Kell
Was that a maple shaft? Did it warp at all or is it a dry pad? Otherwise, 0000 steel wool is the time-tested method for cleaning and smoothing pool cues.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Would you please tell me where to find Mr. Clean?
A couple of days ago, I went on google and did a search on this topic. I got a couple of hits that talked about the use of 0000 steel wool to clean piano keys. I used the steel wool and damp it with diluted denatured alcohol to clean and this process does a pretty good job. For tight area, I wrapped q-tips with steel wool dampened in alcohol as well.
However, I still can't get the permanent marker writing off the keys eventhough it has lighten up a little. I'll try the combination of baking soda+alcohol and/or Mr. Clean.
Thanks to everyone for all the help and tips! Have a good one!
Sorry, I thought it was ball-point pen. Try a little lacquer thinner on felt tipped pen ink, preferably in an inconspicuous spot.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
novice,
I got these are the grocery store; any of the major chains should have them in the cleaning products aisle.
Kell
I've used 0000 since high school and the shaft is also like glass. I don't think I would use anything other than rock maple, either. gentle pressure, not really clamping down on it. What kind of cue do you prefer?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 12/13/2004 10:57 am ET by highfigh
What I like and what I can afford are two different things! (In pool, WW & Golf LOL!)
The first "decent" cue I bought was a Cuetec which I still use as my break cue. For my shooting cue, I picked up a Lucasi a couple of years ago and I've had a custom shaft made for it that I really like.
I'm to the point where I'd like to have on custom made and I've been looking at Tim Scruggs (excellent cue, top $) DCM and Dale Perry. We have a local guy that makes Parrot cues and I also like them. May not happen this year but next year. I also am looking to buy a table for my home but have to finish my family room first. I play in an 8 ball league one night a week and local / regional tournaments.
You?
Kell
McDermott, because I like supporting the local economy but I don't shoot as often as I would like. I'll be looking for a different house soon and it WILL have a room with a table in it. If I happen to be out and end up playing with the house equipment, I enjoy the puzzled looks from picking the stick with the best tip, even though it may be a bit warped. Just a matter of getting to kow it and playing around the problem. In golf, pool and a lot of other things I'm a firm believer in the theory that it's not just the equipment, it's the technique. However, it's a lot more enjoyable when the equipment doesn't put up a fight in trying to do something right.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
highfigh,
My shafts are all rock maple. The Mr. Clean pads are dampened and then rung out to be close to dry. The shaft did not warp and cleaned up beautifully. The grain was raised very slightly and I buffed it back down using a piece of leather.
I've never seen anyone use 0000 steel wool on a cue shaft; far too abrasive. Most folks that I know use fine grain papers above 1000 grit and up to 5000 grit made specifically for the purpose. My cue repair guys uses these and gets my shafts so slick that it's incredible.
Kell
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