Stickey Pegs
What's the best product to use when pegs stick? In the winter, my students pegs don't turn smoothly, they just jump from one wrong tone to the next. Frustrating, eh!
Replies (7)
You can use the Hill peg compound also.
What we have in many cases with student's instruments is that the peg/peghole fit is not good, if the pegs are not adjusted by a good luthier they will not work properly.
Well adjusted pegs will work well for years and years.
I'd definitely use actual peg dope as opposed to chalk or soap. Hill peg dope doesn't cost too much, and works extremely well.
I vote for commercial peg dope, such as hill's or Shar's. Year ago, on some website, there was a lot of favor shown to using LAVA soap. If the pegs or peg holes are not circular, the LAVA soap will tend to carve them to a circular shape. But there is a hazard, because the grit in the soap can carve away the walls of the pegh holes. So, if you do try LAVA soap, be sure to remove it soon and and then use a good peg dope.
There are also peg drops, that can be used if you don't want to completely remove a peg to coat the critical parts of it. They can be a good stopgap until it comes time to change strings, when the peg can easily be removed.
The most expensive cure is to install Pegheds or Knilling Perfection Planetary Pegs (perhaps the new Wittner geared pegs work too, but I have not tried them).
Andy
I often use the Hill compound, which seems to be a nice compromise between being too firm and too slippery.
But if you're a real cheapskate, try Plasticene (kids' modelling "clay") - put some round the peg, insert the peg and turn it a few times, and then shake out the surplus bits that get squeezed out of the hole. If the peg then turns TOO easily, just rub the peg with a rag to reduce the amount of Plasticene still there, or even rub a little rosin on the peg.
I used peg drops on my violin once, when I first got it; I have not needed to re-treat the pegs.
I also dug up some old posts on related subjects, since I don't have anything else original to add.
http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=16052
Usually pegs are caused to stick by too much moisture in the air, rather than too little. The idea of peg dope is to make the pegs turn better, not fit better. If the peg is badly fit, or has just worn itself out-of-round, it will need to be shaved.
The use of soap and chalk is an old way of "lubricating" pegs on the cheap or in a pinch. The problem is that chalk is abrasive and will tend to irregularly wear the both the peg hole and the peg shaft. Also, soap is hygroscopic (it absorbs water), which causes swelling. Commercial peg dopes like Hills are usually made with thickened linseed oil, fine clay, and a few other proprietary ingredients. The oil is not hygroscopic and the clay is not abrasive, so it is a good product to use for smoothly turning pegs.
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August 28, 2009 at 07:52 PM ·
For tight pegs: Take a peg out and rub it clean with a cloth.Then proceed to put some dry soap
on peg.Put peg back,give it a turn,take it out.Take excess dry soap off peg,don't forget to blow the excess dry soap out of the peg hole.Put peg back and it will work.If not wipe it more w/cloth.
Don't forget to check bridge for forward tilt after procedure.For soap: use a used discarded bar of DRY soap.