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Fantastic!

  • 1.  Fantastic!

    Posted 20 days ago
    I remember years ago, Randy Chastain was showing me how she was testing fantastic as a center pin cure for the old Steinway grands.
    Now I'm seeing fantastic is the go-to. 
    What is the procedure most are using? Can you use it like protex a drop at a time?
    Protex works for a short time on this 1920s O. 
    Is repinning while doing the Fantastic desirable?
    I see the piano tomorrow. It was donated to the local music school. My first time was brief.
    It sounds good.
    Keith



  • 2.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 20 days ago

    Hi Keith, I haven't used Fantastic yet, but you should be able to find the article in the Journal (a few years old) about the test comparing various elixirs (ProTek, Fomblin, Fantastic, etc.).

    That said, I don't believe the best results are immediate (i.e. not similar to ProTek): the bushing swells up with the solution (similar to an alcohol/water treatment), and the joint freezes up. I think a day's evaporation is expected for the proper result. You might be able to apply heat to dry it more quickly - check the article for their recommendation. 



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    Patrick Draine RPT
    Billerica MA
    (978) 663-9690
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 19 days ago
    I had favorable results with fantastic for about a year and a half, then the friction began coming back
    Sent from my iPhone, please excuse typos, etc.
    Fenton Murray, RPT
    Cell 831-320-7042


    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 19 days ago
    Hey Fenton, How are you? 
    Maybe I should chase the fantastic with protex or John Page's CBL?
    Keith




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 11 days ago
    Hey Keith
    At this point in an old action, I think whatever works is legal if you’re just trying to juice it to keep it going
    I thought the Fantastik treatment was a good one, better than just about anything else I’ve tried
    As someone else said here, who knows what the long-term results will be, retrofitting new parts is the best option and more and more appropriate as these Pianos age
    Sent from my iPhone, please excuse typos, etc.
    Fenton Murray, RPT
    Cell 831-320-7042


    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 11 days ago
    You are right. I didn’t have time to wait 3 days. The recital was Saturday. I used John Page’s CBL. It works great for a center pin lube. I doused them and worked the stubborn ones.
    I will find out how long it will last.
    New parts would be nice.
    The knuckles are trash
    Keith
    Sent from my iPhone


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Fantastic!

    Member
    Posted 17 days ago

    My personal piano, a 1917 O, had bad verdigris when it was gifted to me.  I used a syringe with Fantastik in all the flanges and the results were perfect. It's been almost a year; we'll see if I'm repinning 88 hammer flanges this time next year.  So far so good.



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    Joel Gamble
    Eastsound WA
    (425) 773-2961
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 18 days ago

    Here is one of my images of a Steinway hammer flange with verdigris.  Not the saturated wood and coating of gummy verdigris.

    image


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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 17 days ago
    The April 2022 Journal has a study done by the Connecticut chapter on the use of fantastik. The correct spelling for the product has the letter k at the end. A couple drops will do it. And yes it works fantastic.
    Doug Mahard



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 16 days ago
    I use a soldering iron technique to steam out the verdigris, ream and repin. I’ve taught it at conventions. It works instantly and it is permanent - especially useful when there isn’t time or money to install new parts. Chemicals are only temporary.


    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 16 days ago
    Blaine, is your method published anywhere? I'd like to try it out. 


    --
    Dave Conte, RPT, CCT
    Owner, Rocky Top Piano
    Knoxville, TN
    817-307-5656





    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 16 days ago
    That is Randall's method,,Dave.  I would like some guidance also. 
    I would think you heat the pin while still in the bushings. Do you turn the flange sideways, set it on something metal and press the iron onto the pin? How long and what watt iron?
    I have the Mannino Reamers and a good pin remover. 
    I will take pictures of the flanges, pins and post them. I see the piano today.

    My problem with looking for journal articles is my membership is on hold. I have stage 4 prostate cancer. That and other problems like breaking my hip last fall have depleted my bank accounts and when I had to make a decision on paying bills, the guild membership got dropped. 
    Things are getting better and I hope to be able to renew my membership.
    I have passed the RPT technical TWICE and each time circumstance prevented me from scheduling the tuning test with in a year.  I have been to 2 national conventions and several others. Dale Erwin and Bob Davis always taught us something new every chapter meeting. 
    I am so happy to have this resource available. Thank you all.





    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 16 days ago
    For vertigris, I punch the pin out, use my 25 watt soldering iron that has a very small pencil point filed slightly so it is not tapered, insert that into the bushing for one second. The vertigris turns to liquid and then gas in a puff of white smoke. Now you can ream and repin as normal.
    I’ve been teaching this for 40 years, vertigris does not return and the fix is instant - no waiting.
    Most technicians don’t do it because:
    1. They don’t know how to repin
    2. They think it’s too much work
    3. They think chemicals are better
    This is only for emergencies when there isn’t time or money for new parts and you just have to make the action play.

    Sent from my iPhone


    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 16 days ago
    My method is to replace all verdigris affected parts with new. I have experimented with ammonia and it does neutralize all of the acids, but it also destroys any glue joints and bushings. Fantastic contains an ammonia compound, and seems to work, but it might not be enough to completely neutralize all of the acetic acid which might return to cause future problems.





    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 16 days ago
    Ok, I was wrong. This piano is a 1929 M they got it
    I had used protek last fall right after 
    The school is a non profit. 
    I mentioned replacing parts to the owner and his volunteer help. 
    Mr B said something about getting a grant,,,
    Then he asked if we would have to use Steinway parts to keep the value
    I said we can't buy cold pressed hammers from Steinway. This is a New York Steinway and putting hard pressed Renner hammers would ruin the sound.,,,, LOL
    The donated piano is worth $54K. In good condition. This estimate is from Steinway.they have one in the showroom. 
    I told him his piano needed about 20K to make it like the one in the showroom 
    Maybe we can get a grant but do I recommend shipping the piano to Steinway? After they ruined Gould's piano? 
    Here are some pictures. 






    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Fantastic!

    Posted 16 days ago
    What pin size do you end up with? you start with a 20? and go to a 21 1/2.? 
    Any larger and you resize the birdseye. 
    Of course with the verdigre, the pin might be rotating in the birdseye and it's already sized 

    On Wed, May 6, 2026 at 1:49 PM Keith Roberts <keithspiano@gmail.com> wrote:
    Ok, I was wrong. This piano is a 1929 M they got it
    I had used protek last fall right after 
    The school is a non profit. 
    I mentioned replacing parts to the owner and his volunteer help. 
    Mr B said something about getting a grant,,,
    Then he asked if we would have to use Steinway parts to keep the value
    I said we can't buy cold pressed hammers from Steinway. This is a New York Steinway and putting hard pressed Renner hammers would ruin the sound.,,,, LOL
    The donated piano is worth $54K. In good condition. This estimate is from Steinway.they have one in the showroom. 
    I told him his piano needed about 20K to make it like the one in the showroom 
    Maybe we can get a grant but do I recommend shipping the piano to Steinway? After they ruined Gould's piano? 
    Here are some pictures. 






    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: Fantastic!

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 16 days ago
    The pin that came out is usually a 20 1/2. I replace with the same size. If you can push the pin through the Birds Eye, it’s too loose. If the pin sticks in the hole, that’s perfect. If the pin won’t stay by itself in the Birds Eye, it’s too big. Then ream (I use a sided reamer) slightly and re pin. The hammer should swing 5 to 6 times. Jacks and whippen flanges should be quite loose but no side to side wobble.

    Sent from my iPhone


    Original Message