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No carbon paper to be found

  • 1.  No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 09:31
    This message has been cross posted to the following Discussions: CAUT and Pianotech .
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    Hi all,

    I want to start the soft pedal voicing on a Steinway D project I'm doing, and can't find any carbon paper around here to transfer the string marks to the hammers.  

    Anyone have an alternative way to get the string pattern to the hammers now before any grooves are there?

    Thanks
    Paul


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    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Director of Piano Services
    School of Music
    813 Assembly St
    University of South Carolina
    Columbia, SC 29208
    pwilliams@mozart.sc.edu
    -------------------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 10:04
    It's one of things that are getting harder to find.  I found a big pack of it at staples about a year ago.  I'm sure you could also order it on-line somewhere.  If you need it right now, then ask around and find out which secretary has been there the longest, and ask if s/he has any.

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    Zeno Wood
    Brooklyn, NY
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  • 3.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 10:09
    Zeno,

    I found some on line at Staples. Our band secretary orders stuff there all the time and will grab me a package!  100 sheets!  I'll never run out again!  I figure I can make that go for about 3-400 sets of hammers! Ha ha! Ho ho ho!

    Happy Holidays to all!

    Paul


    -------------------------------------------
    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Director of Piano Services
    School of Music
    813 Assembly St
    University of South Carolina
    Columbia, SC 29208
    pwilliams@mozart.sc.edu
    -------------------------------------------




  • 4.  RE:No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 10:12

    Maybe the one I got at staples was old, but it was not.inky. enough. Looking for the older kind
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    David Skolnik
    Hastings-on-Hudson NY
    914-231-7565
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  • 5.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 10:13
    It is possible to rub the strings with graphite, using a wide carpenter's pencil (I have one that is just a graphite stick, about 3/16" x 5/8" in cross section). Doesn't work all that well with new strings. You can sometimes find some duplicating forms that have carbon paper attached. See if there are some left over somewhere - our accountant had to use some of them for a particular purpose up to about 5 years ago. I wonder if using one of those white board markers might work. Or a "magic marker." (Work fast before it dries). Worth an experiment in a pinch.






  • 6.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Posted 12-18-2014 10:50
    Carbon paper has turned into something else. The old stuff was a mess to
    handle and worked great. The new stuff handles cleanly and I don't like
    at all. And as you said, rubbing something on the strings is sometimes
    not optimal. I have the best luck burnishing graphite into lightweight
    tracing paper and using that as carbon paper. It just occurred to me
    that typewriter or the single pass daisy wheel printer ribbon might
    work, taped to the strings underneath. I haven't tried it, having just
    thought of it, but I may check it out next time it comes up. Might work,
    or be a total disaster. More than one of my dumb ideas has ended up in
    the trash.
    Ron N




  • 7.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 10:56
    Maybe if you have an old typewriter ribbon, you could rub it on the strings (use gloves). That ink might stick better than a drier substance. I wonder if art supply shops would have some kind of sheet that is used for tracing.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "A mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." Plutarch









  • 8.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 11:10
    Fred and Ron,

    I like the typewriter ribbon idea. I'll try the new batch of carbon now ordered and see if it works first.  I suppose Staples also still carries typewriter ribbon too.

    I wonder why one of the piano suppliers don't come up with something we can all use?

    Thanks
    Paul


    -------------------------------------------
    Paul T. Williams RPT
    Director of Piano Services
    School of Music
    813 Assembly St
    University of South Carolina
    Columbia, SC 29208
    pwilliams@mozart.sc.edu
    -------------------------------------------




  • 9.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 11:20
    Carbon paper is readily available in stores here--Porelon # 11407  is the brand of both packages I have. (Their website is FULL of typewriter cartidges, etc-by the way.) They only sell to retailers, and this carbon paper is on Office Depot's site, Office Max's site, and probably other retailers.
    HOWEVER, I agree with Ron--you can TRY to get it to rub off on your thumb and it barely rubs off! Different animal than the old-school stuff!  Arrggh!  (We may have to just turn it carbon side down until we can come up with something better. This seems to work fairly well for me)
    I will be waiting to hear how well this new batch Paul is getting from Stapes works out -perhaps it will be better, but probably not.
    Hopefully you experimenters can find something really cool that works great!  Keep us posted.
    Kevin


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    Kevin Fortenberry
    Registered Piano Technician
    Lubbock TX
    806-778-3962
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  • 10.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-18-2014 11:43
    Graphite paper seems like a good bet: art supply. Google it - Walmart, Amazon, etc., etc.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    fssturm@unm.edu
    http://fredsturm.net
    "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Twain




  • 11.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Posted 12-18-2014 15:35
    Yes, the graphite paper looked promising. Today's carbon paper has a
    binder (wax was mentioned) to make it easy to handle without getting any
    on you, which is exactly what we don't want.
    Ron N




  • 12.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Posted 12-19-2014 07:39
    Experiment! Get a sheet of thin paper and, with a soft lead Carpenters pencil, liberally coat a strip with it. Cut that strip off and attach it to the underside of the strings at the striking point of section in question. It may work! (may)   Michael (UK) 

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    Michael Gamble
    semi retired
    Brighton
    01273813612
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  • 13.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-19-2014 11:22
    At a fabric store you can find colored transfer paper that is used to transfer cutting and sewing markings from the pattern to the fabric.  It comes in different colors so you can contrast the color of the fabric.

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    Robert Callaghan
    Reno NV
    775-287-2140
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  • 14.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Posted 12-19-2014 21:10
    I use carpenters chalk dissolved in denatured alcohol and paint it on the underside of the strings at the strike point. Block the dampers up first. Put the action back in. Play each note. Pull the action. Wipe off the strings.

    Alan McCoy
    Sent from my phone




  • 15.  RE: No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-26-2014 15:12
    If you check on Ebay you can sometimes find boxes of the old carbon paper.

    One box should be enough.

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    Susan Kline
    Philomath, Oregon

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  • 16.  RE:No carbon paper to be found

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 12-26-2014 15:36
    Hi,

    I just voiced a set of new hammers last week. I found carbon paper at Staples and it worked great!
    I tried to respond to this last week and it didn't go through. Sorry if this is redundant.

    Chris

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    Christopher Purdy, RPT
    Piano Technician
    Middle Tennessee State University
    Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132
    (740) 590-3842
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