squeaky Keys - right hand, piano accordion

[Mike K]

I have several keys that periodically make annoying squeaks. Someone told me to try WD40 and spray it between the keys.....worked maybe for a little while. Afraid to spray too much. I also read somewhere it could be dirt and might have to take whole keyboard apart for cleaning. I am a little reluctant to do that. Any recommendations?

 

[JIM D.]

What make and model box do you have ???

 

[debra]

I have several keys that periodically make annoying squeaks. Someone told me to try WD40 and spray it between the keys.....worked maybe for a little while. Afraid to spray too much. I also read somewhere it could be dirt and might have to take whole keyboard apart for cleaning. I am a little reluctant to do that. Any recommendations?

Im sorry to say but indeed taking the whole keyboard apart and cleaning it is the first step. Depending on the keyboard this can be really easy or very hard. A lot of accordions use a rod (axle) that goes through all the keys. If the accordion has a hole the rod can go through its not too difficult but you cannot just take out any arbitrary key. Some accordions have each key fixed separately and then working on a single squeaky key is easy enough. Spraying WD40 is generally a really bad idea if you store the instrument on its feet. You do not want gravity to pull the lubricant towards the sound-producing parts of the instrument. Once you have the keys out if you need to lubricate something you can apply it gently with a paper towel so you never get too much grease or oil on any part. But best is if you can avoid it completely because any lubricant acts as a dust magnet and in the end will make the problem worse rather than curing it.
A temporary solution I have used on an old Morino was a can of (pressurized) air. It would cure the problem for up to two hours, long enough for a concert. To really solve the problem the keyboard still had to be taken apart and cleaned.

 

[Mike K]

Giulietti F4 transformer with partial free bass

 

[JIM D.]

Your keyboard will need a cleaning --- see here ---
http://www.accordionrevival.com/ACCORDION_REPAIR1.php#Freeing_sticking_keys
You might use a bit of lube when reassembly ---- http://www.homedepot.com/p/UltraLub...B7HEaSRfCOvjlxnR2aqJEaAs078P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Mike K]

I played around with it a little tonight. noticed if I push straight down it does not squeak. If I push the F say towards the F# then I get the sqeaking. I was wondering why I did not notice it all the time. I guess the little bit of sideways pressure increases the rubbing.

 

[JIM D.]

You might luck out here -- If you have one on these --
https://www.amazon.com/Trim-Stainle...d=1469840009&sr=8-11&keywords=fingernail+file
Pass it between the keys a few times.

 

[Mike K]

I was thinking of trying an exacto knife and scraping the sides but did not have one. Did not think of a nail file. Worth a try, still scared of taking it apart. I am trying to buy a cheap Bellini for several purposes, one being figuring out how to repair things without risking my expensive unit.

 

[debra]

I played around with it a little tonight. noticed if I push straight down it does not squeak. If I push the F say towards the F# then I get the sqeaking. I was wondering why I did not notice it all the time. I guess the little bit of sideways pressure increases the rubbing.

The squeaking does not come from the keys rubbing against each other, so please do not start filing away at the keys.
The keys have a metal mechanism that slides through slivers in a wooden block (guide) so that they move in exactly the right directly. The problem is that the wood may have swollen a little bit and as a result the key mechanism has less room to pass through. It requires taking the whole keyboard apart to get access to the block with all the guiding holes. You can then file away a little bit in each hole (a narrow rectangular file is a good tool to slightly widen the rectangular holes), and add a bit of grease to make the metal slide through more easily without squeaking.

 

[Soulsaver]

Ah well, have you noticed the F natural is the narrowest key on most if not all piano keyboards because of its shape to allow the F# within its confines. I have found this on the odd accordion, so where you reach down in particular to the higher Fs from lower pitch keys, you tend to push it off line more than any other key, towards the F#. I noticed on one accordion that it snags against the #key next to it. I think a bit of technique change improved it, as you say, pressing directly down; shaving a bit off may improve it, or it may allow it just to distort further and still snag/make the squeak.

 

[JerryPH]

If that guy above with that Hohner thing had bought himself a proper accordion, he wouldn't have any such issues... LOL!