Copper or Aluminum Tape?

[shaggama]

Well, I just got my copper tape and a co-worker hipped me to galvanic corrosion between copper and aluminum.   Is the aluminum tape the preferred way to ground the harp now?     A little annoyed at the old and outdated VV videos at the moment.  Has anyone used the copper mod and noticed any premature corrosion?  Thanks.

[David Aubke]

I used it once on a 1973.


But I have switched back because I heard about the same issue (and because aluminum is original).

I sold the piano before it would have had a chance to corrode. The person I sold it to is a member of this board. If he's around and still owns it, he might be able to tell you how it's held up.

[shaggama]

Thanks. Yeah, I will just use the aluminum tape.  It's what VV is currently selling so why risk it, right?   I'll use this copper tape in the garden to repel slugs (if that even works!).  Too bad because the copper has a nice look to it.

Cheers

[shaggama]

Dave, do you have a good source for your alum shield tape?  I don't want to pay $3.20 a foot!

Thanks

[David Aubke]

Dave, do you have a good source for your alum shield tape?  I don't want to pay $3.20 a foot!

Yeah. Any hardware store where they'll be selling it for next to nothing as foil duct tape.
http://catalog.berryplastics.com/products/adhesiv/foil-tape/adhesiv91347

[David Aubke]

Dave, do you have a good source for your alum shield tape?  I don't want to pay $3.20 a foot!

Yeah. Any hardware store where they'll be selling it for next to nothing as foil duct tape.
http://catalog.berryplastics.com/products/adhesiv/foil-tape/adhesiv91347

I just took a look at what Vintage Vibe is selling and it's not exactly the same as what I linked to. Theirs has conductive adhesive so there will be continuity between overlapped pieces. This is good if you're trying to shield a large surface but is irrelevant for the harp rail ground bus.

[purkolator]

One trick I have used on many pianos (particularly when I decide to shield the inside of a 200 or 200a case, is to use the cheap hardware store aluminum flashing for most of it and then simply use a few strips of the expensive stuff with conductive adhesive to tie them together.  So, if I'm doing a case top I flip it upside down and lay strips of the cheap stuff lengthwise to cover the interior, then run a couple strips of the expensive stuff across the first layer horizontally, making sure that each of the original strips gets touched.

Brad