Don Barton asks how to get rid of verdigris in a Steinway piano action.
You might start with an Internet search of what causes verdigris. It is
a big problem for player technicians as well as Steinway technicians and
has been debated over and over.
It is a chemical reaction between acid fumes in the air and brass. The
center pins in Steinways were apparently poorly plated, allowing the
fumes to pass through the nickel plating, thus creating the verdigris.
Nickel plating is actually porous, and that was one reason chrome plating
became so popular on car bumpers. Nickel-plated bumpers would rust, since
water could actually pass through, creating rust.
On three of the piano tech forums the technicianss all agree that the only
way to stop verdigris is to replace all the parts with new ones.
Don Teach
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