Oil on tuning pins

[gvans]

Years ago a piano professor and friend of mine recommended a tuner, a guy who was experienced and tuned the pianos at a university here. For many years this gentleman tuned and voiced my pianos and did, at least to my ear, an outstanding job. Recently I ran into my professor again, and he said the "word on the street" was that the tuner has a habit of putting oil on the pins to make them easier to work--and that, over a long period of time, this was very bad for the instrument.
I'm curious if anybody's heard of this, or has any comments.

[pianolive]

  No pro tech would ever do a thing like that.

[keys60]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  Never, ever, ever put oil in tuning pins.

[silverwoodpianos]

Well, remember that this is only “word on the street” and reads to me like rumour or possible misunderstanding regarding products such as Protek solution that some techs use for friction points or perhaps the glycerine products used to tighten pin blocks.

The clue is that the OP states for many years this fellow tuned for the OP without any problems in tuning pin stability.

If one would like to know the real story, ask the fellow directly.

[gvans]

Thanks for your comments. My Steinway and Schimmel grands, instruments this particular tech has babied, both hold their tuning very well in spite of heavy use. I see no evidence of oil deposits on the pins. 

Of course, you're right, Dan. I've got to speak to him directly about the issue. He's a member of the guild, a quiet, wonderful fellow, and I owe it to him to get to the bottom of this. Perhaps he was somehow slandered--and improperly lost a huge account (the music dept. at our university is active and large, with many dozens of pianos). I'll get back to you when I find out.

[oxy60]

In the late fifties I helped my tuner turn my Chickering Quarter Grand upside down to put some sort of fluid into the pin holes because of extremely low humidity drying out the board. It solved the problem and it held a tuning. The piano was moved to another house, tuned again  and never had any problems again. The routine tuning was always just that.

[gvans]

Late post: I discussed the issue with my tech, he has never used oil on tuning pins and was fairly shocked at my asking. So I'm afraid he was a victim of some sort of slander. I'll see what I can do to resurrect his reputation. I've always been a big fan of him (for decades).

[keys60]

oxy60.....your tech may have applied pin tightener or what is called CA glue which can tighten a pin and provide smooth motion. Big difference.

[oxy60]

Thank you! He never said what he put in so now another mystery has been solved.