A Piano Needs Regular Care

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 99, Issue 5, 16 November 1959, Page 504

A Piano Needs Regular Care

As a Delicate Instrument

MANY pianos are neglected. Is yours one of them? A piano is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, a delicate instrument, and a valuable piece of furniture. It should receive the necessary care to ensure that ilis able to give the lifetime of good service and pleasure that you expect from it. IF possible a piano should be placed against an inside wall of a living room where the. atmosphere is constantly warm. Major Enemies Dampness, excessive heat, and draught all have a detrimental effect on a piano. Dampness Dampness can soon ruin a good piano by causing rust on the many metal parts and by making the felt bushings in the action parts swell and absorb moisture. Rusty strings will ultimately break and are costly to replace. The tone of the bass strings is impaired when they are rusty. Felt bushings swollen through dampness are responsible for sluggish movement as well as for. keys sticking down. Severe dampness may injure the finish of the case and the tuning plank, as it makes the glue used in the construction become soft and lose its binding power. However, this damage is rare. Usually covers or any internal heating for the piano are not necessary but in extremely damp situations special electric piano heaters can be installed. Pianos in halls, schools, or club rooms need a fitting, felt-lined canvas cover to prevent damage caused by dampness and draughts. Excessive Heat A piano should not be placed too near a fire, central heating pipes, or any other source of heat. It should also be kept out of direct sunlight. Draughts Draughts may affect the tuning of the piano. The metal strings are made of copper and steel and so they expand and contract with changes of temperature. The temperature of the room should therefore be kept as even as

By

JANET W. ROBERTS,

Home Science Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Auckland

possible. Do not have the piano between an open window and an open door where sudden draughts could affect it. Keep it away from windows which are frequently opened. Borer There is a risk of pianos being attacked by borer. They should be thoroughly inspected regularly. At the first sign of borer the piano should be treated by experts. Fumigation, carried out under a plastic cover, can be done quite safely in the home and is guaranteed effective for five years. This treatment is also effective against moths in the piano felts. If borer is attended to before it gains a big hold, it can be successfully treated and no damage is done to the piano. Tuning and Regulating Whether' used or not a piano gets out of tune as the result of contraction and expansion caused by changes in the atmosphere. A piano should be tuned at nine to 12 months’ intervals by a reliable tuner from a reputable piano firm. Have the vacuum cleaner handy and ask the tuner to clean out any dust while he has the top and bottom panels off. Cleaning the interior of the piano from time to time helps to prevent moth damage to the fine wool felts. Tuning does not affect the tone of a piano. It simply puts the strings in unison and at the proper pitch. Beside tuning the piano requires tone and action regulating and other servicing from time to time. Ask the tuner to report any irregularities. Some simple adjustments are probably all that is required. A sticking key or a squeaky pedal can be rectified in a few moments. Occasionally action regulating is also desirable so that the mechanism may be smooth and responsive to the touch.

Piano tone tends to become more brilliant with use, because of the constant pounding of the hammer felts against the steel strings. As the felt becomes hard through this pounding the tone becomes more brilliant. Toning will restore the mellowness, provided there is sufficient hammer felt left. The felts usually need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years. Piano Keys Piano keys are usually made of a plastic or celluloid composition. Until about 25 years ago they were made of ivory. Ivory keys have been specially treated and bleached to make them white, but they will turn yellow if continuously kept from the light so the lid over the keys should always be up. This also allows air to circulate through the felt bushings under the keys. ; If the keys become dusty or dirty, wipe them lengthwise with a piece of damp cheesecloth which has been well wrung out of water and then wipe them with a soft, dry cloth. Great care must be taken to prevent any liquid going between the keys. The only satisfactory treatment for discoloured ivory keys is to have them scraped and buffed by a piano firm. After many years ivory keys may become semi-transparent and then they need to be re-covered. Plastic keys will retain their whiteness indefinitely. To remove surface grime rub the keys lightly with cheesecloth which has been lightly dampened with an abrasive such as metal polish. Rub it off with a piece of clean, dry cheesecloth. Chipped . or damaged keys can be replaced for a few shillings. Black keys can be cleaned and their colour renewed by rubbing them carefully with a soft cloth moistened with a few drops of furniture polish. Casework To retain the finish of the woodwork the case should be polished monthly with polish recommended by a piano firm. The top lid should be kept shut with no ornaments, vases or flowers, or other objects on top, as they may Leave. pressure marks or cause vibrations and spoil the tone.