This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Both bridges look new to my eye. There are no shims in the soundboard = (they wouldn't do that to a "D", would they?), and the wood looks new, = so I assume it is, too. Can't tell about the pinblock. There is no = local Steinway dealer: none in WV at all! But I've been thinking about = writing to Steinway to get its history (any contacts?). Less than a dozen bass pins are loose. Treble pins are adequate but not = what I'd want for the tensions here. I'll treat the whole thing if I CA = it. The loose pins are near plate struts, and/or the keyboard (not the = plate flange). I've never driven pins; I don't have the tools for that. = None seem to have been previously driven. Turns out the DC has been unplugged for two years, and was only on for = one. The rebuild was about eight years ago, so the damage was probably = done long ago. Indoor winter humidity here has been around 33% (in = homes), and is around 40% now; I'd sure like to know what it is in this = auditorium in the winter. The janitor said he filled the double-tank = system about every two weeks, which seems on the high side for me. = That's the best ammo for my argument, I think. I've given them the DC = brochure and your excellent CAUT guidelines, which latter should be = publicized more widely to the PTG membership. I only found them by = accident through a Google search! Thanks for all the advice... --Cy-- ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Ed Sutton=20 To: College and University Technicians=20 Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2005 9:24 AM Subject: RE: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"? Cy- Were the pinblock, bridge cap and soundboard replaced during the = "Steinway rebuild?" Was this "Steinway rebuild" done at the Steinway = factory in New York, or by the local Steinway dealer? Are all the bass tuning pins loose, or just a few? How about the rest = of the tuning pins? If this is a new pin block, this could be due to = sloppy drilling or poor choice of tuning pins. Is there room on the = pin to allow driving it a bit deeper into the block? CA glue is a very good emergency repair. It doesn't damage the pin = block or enlarge the hole, thus leaving the option of repinning the = entire instrument or section with larger pins of one size. (The only = risk I've found is that on a vertical it may drip through onto the = floor!) You might write a letter saying that you have identified apparent = problems in the pin block, bridge and soundboard, that these may be = caused by extremes of humidity, and that you cannot evaluate the extent = of these problems unless the climate control system is activated. You = can get a booklet from Damp-Chaser that may help, and also be sure the = system is adequate. Your plans for North Bennett Street are wonderful. Good luck! Ed Sutton ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Cy Shuster=20 To: CAUT Sent: 4/15/2005 10:19:08 PM=20 Subject: [CAUT] CA for loose pins on a "D"? I've been studying piano technology for ten years, on and off (I've = passed the RPT written exam), and have been tuning professionally for a = year and a half. I've applied to North Bennet St. for this fall. I was just asked to take care of an S&S D for a local community = college. It's 1917 vintage (played by Rachmaninoff at one time!), and = rebuilt by Steinway about ten years ago. It's suffering from humidity = damage: 8" crack in the soundboard behind and under the treble bridge = and elsewhere, false beats in the low tenor (loose bridge pins?), and = loose tuning pins in the bass. One or two are so loose I was tempted to = mute them, for fear they wouldn't survive a concert. Of the needed repairs, the only one's I'm qualified to do are to CA = the loose pins, which I've done successfully three times previously. = I'll happily do this on someone's no-name, 100-year-old, 4'8" neonatal = grand with rusty strings, but I want to ask for advice before doing = anything irreversible to an instrument of this caliber. I can do the = repair without side effects, I'm sure (I pull the action and use copious = amounts of plastic tarps), but still... Is the right thing to do to simply write up a report and say that it = needs a new pinblock, bridge cap, and at least epoxy in the soundboard = cracks? Or let Steinway re-evaluate it? Is it better to pull the loose = pins and shim with sandpaper or veneer rather than risking CA? Will = Steinway scoff if they get a CA'd pinblock to replace? Side note: it has a disassembled DC system... sigh... --Cy Shuster-- Bluefield, WV ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/14/a0/0d/6d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC