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12
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
Oiuf TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM BRAID WHITE.
MOTHS.
J. F. Magennis, A. G. T. of Fort Dodge, Iowa,
writes me as follows: "Editor, Technical De-
partment, Dear Sir: Will you advise me as to
the best method of preventing moths from set-
tling in pianos? Also, what is the best way of
getting moths out of pianos; that is, to say, what
preventatives should be used?"
The questions are simple enough, but they
cover, for all that, an amount of controversial
ground that is amazing. Frankly, I do riot know
a single topic coming within the purview of this
department concerning which there are more
varied and heated opinions.
The ravages of
moths within pianos are serious.
The annual
amount of moth damage, if it could be computed,
would undoubtedly turn out to be immense. A
certain preventive and cure are, without doubt,
among the immediate necessities of piano mak-
ing. But I fear that no panacea is likely to be
discovered for a while.
The common house moth is a boring insect.
It lays eggs in all sorts of woolen fabrics, furs,
and similar substances. To find a place for these
it tunnels its way through the fabric and thus cuts
out the fires of the latter until the interior is
entirely disintegrated and is ready to fall to pieces.
Now, it is obvious that possible preventive
measures must consider means for (1) keeping
the moth away from the piano, so that it will
not attempt to lay its eggs there, or (2) for kill-
ing the eggs before they can come to maturity.
The experience of those who deal with furs and
clothing in large quantities seems to point to the
fumes of camphor as being a more or less ef-
fective preventive to the laying of moth eggs.
Furs, of course, are generally stored away at
very low temperatures, which apparently have
much the same effect.
I know nothing better than the fumes of cam-
phor as a preventive of moths. In my opinion,
the use of camphor does more or less effectually
keep moths away. I do not know anything else
of which the same thing may be said, and which
is practical for the particular case of the piano.
With regard to the destruction of moths in a
piano that has been invaded by them, the problem
is not less uncertain. If I read Mr. Megennis
aright, he wants to know how to keep moths out
of pianos and also how to destroy them when
they are in. The preventive measure is equally
necessary in both cases, since after a piano has
been cleared of moths, it must be treated so that
the same trouble will not occur later. When a
piano is found to be damaged by moths, it should
be very carefully examined with a view of dis-
covering how far the insects have bored into the
hammers, the dampers, and such felts as are per-
manently glued on to the various parts of the
action. Moth-eaten punchings can be removed
and burned, but the job of re-hammering or of
putting on new damper and action felt is by no
means easy or agreeable. When I have had a
case like this, I have always, first, carefully
cleaned the action and key-frame of all remains
of moth eggs and have then brushed a strong
solution of corrosive sublimate over the wood ad-
jacent to the affected felts. The latter should
always be removed and burned up. Even if the
affected felts are in the action itself, it is far
TAUST SCHOOL OF TUNING
turn; PUyW'PiuM, Pip* u d Reed Organ Toning and R«-
pairiag, alt* Regulating, Voicing, VarnUking and Polishing.
Incidentally, it might be well to recall to mind
better to remove them and send the action away
that, some two years ago, a concern was started
to be refelted (if the customer will stand for it)
than to trust to the corrosive sublimate alone. The in New York to exploit a process for moth-
object of the solution is to kill off the eggs proofing fabrics during their manufacture, so
which gather behind the punchings *and other felts that they could be sold and guaranteed as such.
in the wood. The worst of these "nests" will be Some effort was made to push the idea in the
found usually on the key-frame around the pins. piano trade, but apparently it came to nothing.
Other processes have appeared from time to
Having removed the affected felts and killed
off the eggs in the manner described, I then ex- time, but do not seem to have amounted to much.
amine the hammers and dampers. Very often For, if they had been what they claimed for
one finds curios of moth-eating in hammer felt. them, certainly the piano supply manufacturers
The moths, as remarked, above, are borers and would have been only too anxious to get hold of
sometimes dig right down through the felt of a them. Perhaps it is that processes which might,
heavy hammer to a depth of more than a quarter- not injuriously affect ordinary woolen fabrics,
such as are used in clothing, do work evil on
inch. Indeed, there will occasionally be two or
three of these tunnels in one hammer. In such the special felts used in pianos.
Incidental to all the above, I suppose most of
cases as this one can try cleaning out the eggs,
treating tthe tunnel with corrosive sublimate and my readers know that the "moth game," as it may
carefully re-filing the felt into shape. But, if be called, is a favorite of the fake piano tuner.
the work of destruction has gone at all far, the These delightful individuals frequently have been
hammer will never be of much use and had known to carry with them a pocket-full of
better be replaced. The same is true of the sweepings and refuse gathered from a nest of
dampers. If one could clean the eggs out of moths, for the purpose of scattering some of these
either hammers or dampers so thoroughly that no inside the case of the piano to which they have
infection would remain, then things would not obtained access in the, home of an unsuspecting
be so bad. This is impossible, however, with- person. Naturally, the tell-tale moth signs are-
out the injection of such a liquid as I have "discovered," and the mistress of the house is sum-
described. Yet, we all know that felts are not im- moned in and easily bamboozled into paying a
proved by such treatment as this. Moreover, the round price to have them removed and "prevented"
from coming again; the latter through some
action of moths in tunneling into felt breaks up
the fibres and destroys the solidity—and there- patent process which is never divulged. And yet
fore the tone-producing capacity—of the hammer. good tuners say sometimes that they are rather
Hence, it is useless to expect good results from glad of the fakers than otherwise, since every
badly-affected hammers, which, indeed, had al- bad workman brings more business to those who
ways better be removed and burned up. Where are competent. For shame, brothers!
the customer cannot, or will not, pay the price
Communications for this department should be
demanded and required for a thorough job, of
addressed to the Editor, Technical Department,
course, one must do the next best thing.
It will be observed that I have laid stress on The Music Trade Review.
the necessity of burning up all felts removed
from a moth-eaten piano. If this is not done it
DAINTY VIOLET ARRIVES.
is almost certain that some live eggs will find
their way into other parts of the house and begin Picture of Charming Young Lady Graces Cal-
endar Sent Out by Chase-Hackley Piano Co.
their deadly work all over again.
A word might be said here in further explana-
Many members of the trade have received from
tion of the camphor treatment. Two or three
linen t>ags should be made, each capable of hold- the Chase-Hackley Piano Co., Muskegon, Mich., a
ing a dozen of the strongest camphor balls. They large wall calendar of panel design and which
should be filled with the balls, and then attached bears the following text: "WitJh best wishes for
1913.—May you accomplish what you attempt-
to the interior side walls of the piano in such a
position that they will not touch any moving part. enjoy what you have—and find nothing to regret."
If the camphor is renewed from time to time, the In the center of the calendar appears a delicately
colored picture of a young lady who rejoices in
fumes will effectually prevent the formation of
the name of Violet, and Violet certainly looks
more moth colonies.
This is the best advice I can give. I do not good to us.
know whether it will be entirely satisfactory. The
fact of the matter is, however, that there is not,
so far as I now know, any perfectly sure and
simple method for relieving pianos of the moth
plague. Possibly some of my readers know some-
thing better. If so, will they write and tell me
what it is? Some letters from readers contain-
ing records of their experience with the moth
evil, would be most interesting.
PIANO MEN PLAN INAUGURATION.
The music trade in Washington, D. C, is well
represented on the committees appointed to look
after the arrangements regarding the inaugura-
tion of Woodrow Wilson as President. E. H.
Droop, Percy S. Foster, W. P. Van Wickle and
O. J. De Moll are all committee members, Mr.
Foster being chairman of the committee in charge
of the music.
Manufacturers! Dealers! Tuners!
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King's Automatic Tuning Pin and
This formerly was the tuning department of the New Eng-
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of that department for 20 years previous to its discontinu-
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Courses in mathematical piano scale construction and
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A postal brings sample and details.
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:: Yellow Sprints, Ohio