MMD > Archives > May 1996 > 1996.05.06 > 05Prev  Next


Re: Ivory Keytop Replacement (Bleaching?)
By David Sanderson, forwarded by Terry Smythe

The following recently appeared in the pianotech list that may be of interest...

> Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 19:28:55 -0400
> From: PIANOBIZ@aol.com
> To: pianotech@byu.edu
> Subject: Re: Ivory bleaching question
>
> On Sat, 27 Apr 1996, John Minor wrote:
>
> > Can someone point me to a few articles in the Journal on the
> > subject of ivory keytop bleaching? Thanks.
> > John,
>
> There's an excellent article on bleaching ivories in the July,
> 1995 PTJ. It's by Richard Wagner, RPT, and is on pp. 35-6.
> Steve Brady, RPT
>
> Hello John
>
> I would affirm the instructions included in that article on bleaching.
>
> We followed them to the letter in setting up a black light shelf in
> our shop.
>
> We used a cheap 48" shop-light fixture and black light fluorescent
> bulbs. Scuffing the ivories with fine sandpaper, covering them
> with hydrogen peroxide soaked paper towels, and then sliding them
> under the black lights for 24 hours really works. Do this while
> the keys are still on the keyframe if it's a grand action (sharps
> removed). We hang the light only two or three inches above the
> keys. The 48" black light bulbs are difficult to find. I had to
> go through a major electrical supplier, not my local lighting store.
> We've been very happy and this method really does work, without
> sanding off large amounts of ivory, and without relying on the
> fickle presence of Mr. Sun. :)
>
> David Sanderson
> Pianobiz@aol.com


(Message sent Mon 6 May 1996, 13:22:23 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

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