oh my! And my DH was all proud of himself for vacuuming the freezer drawers (tho still not certain they are working as they should

Ebay has replacement leather nuts for player pianos - could you use them?

Since you said no sticky I'm guessing chewing gum is not an option. :)

How about candle wax? It could be melted and when it's cool but still pliable you could wrap it around the bolts.

Donna

Piano Leather WASHERS

Could you use a piece of a wine cork? I have sliced one with a bread knife before.

Skinny pool noodle?

Haha! Thank you for the suggestions!

I suspect the player piano nuts are what I'd need, and probably what my piano guy was planning to use. They don't seem to be a typical piano part (and this is not a typical piano).

I am hoping to get by with a temporary fix until we have enough community immunity to have them all properly done by the piano technician so I'll be trying things out.

Now I am not really thinking about vacuuming appliances!

The next thing I will attempt that I would rather have a professional for is trimming my dog's nails. He's been restricted in his movements due to injuries and his nails haven't been wearing themselves down. He had them done at the vet a month ago and they need to be redone so he can stand properly . I've never done it and he's rarely had it done. The nails are black so I can't tell where the quick is. Should be....interesting.

I used to trim my cats' nails and until I became more familiar with how short was safe, I'd recommend just trimming them a tiny bit at a time. Maybe every few days so that you don't go to the extreme by accident.

Yes, I did, Stax. It did not take me to a particular item however--perhaps my browser is borked-- and I am unable to find it on the site.

Right now I'm just experimenting with available household items because I do plan on having an actual real piano trained technician do a proper job when it is safe to do so.

Good tip, Oly! I foresee a lot of time on the floor in my future!

I've trimmed claws on older cats (and once on a dog) with a Dremel Moto-Tool running at its lowest speed. I think I used the sanding disc attachment.

If you don't have a Moto-Tool, you can order one online.

There are cheap generic versions, but be careful. I've heard that some of the cheapies work with the attachments they come with, but genuine Dremel attachments don't fit them quite right.

I'm drawing a blank on the piano, sorry.

https://www.howardpianoindustries.com/balance-rail-felt-punchings/

Used this dry shampoo recipe on my dog until we can get her to her regular groomer next month. It worked, I think. I may have to repeat often.

https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/diy-dry-shampoo-dogs/91996

Dry dog shampoo is an interesting idea. There used to be (maybe still is) a human equivalent called, I kid you not, Minipoo. Their radio jingle was, "When you can't shampoo, Minipoo."

Basically; human or dog, it works just like the dust baths that birds take.

I'm cheap, so I've never used a dog groomer. When I had a spaniel mix (miss that guy), I bathed him in the bathtub with a sprayer and a screen on the drain. Never thought of dry shampoo.

A friend of mine many years ago installed a hot water mixing setup on his outside faucet, and used it to bathe his dog in his back yard. But his was a BIG dog, at least 120 pounds' worth. And I'm not talking UK money-pounds.

EDIT: I just looked up Minipoo and learned that it vanished from the market in the late 1960s.

Minipoo's main ingredient was talc. There's some controversy over talc's safety. Apparently asbestos contamination of it was or is common, and some sources even claim it's hazardous without any asbestos in it.

Another dry human shampoo from the 1970s that I'd forgotten about was Pssssst, an aerosol. It's still available. Pssssst is made with rice starch, alcohol, butane, propane, and a bunch of chemicals. Sounds like a can of it would make a fine emergency flamethrower. :(

Your cornstarch formula looks like a better, safer dry shampoo than either, and probably costs a lot less.

DavidR, 24 hours later, and the dry shampoo seems to have worked. And I could have left out the essential oil--cornstarch and baking soda have been enough to make her tolerable for now.

Layed cardboard, picture frame matting, foam core poster board, wine corks, layered leather discs, felt carpet padding....? I wouldn't be afraid to use a bit of CA glue to secure if needed. Acetone will remove CA (Super) glue.

> 24 hours later, and the dry shampoo seems to have worked.

I guess this thread should probably be over in the GW pets forum, but briefly, it sounds like your dry shampoo could be a winner for our current dog. Let's just say that he needs more baths than would be good for his skin and coat. :(

I had no idea that forum existed! I'll go post there. Thanks!

Do you have hair elastics lying around? They might work for the piano.

If you have a rug pad made out of recycled felted wool you might snip a corner of it to make a circle that takes the place of your leather nut. Or a felt pledget if you had such a thing lying around your house.

Many things to try and I have much time in which to try them! Thanks!

As soon as I get those dognails done, my stinky dog is taking a regular shower. Can't do it until he gets a trim or he will probably slide all over in there.

But that's always been a DIY job. :)