Steinway Plate Crosspiece

[A440A@aol.com]

Joel asks;
> Here is a question for anyone about the crossbar or crosspiece on a 9'
> grand - specifically a Steinway, <snip>   .........Has anyone had specific
damage from taking this
> piece out for an extended time?  Does anyone at Steinway have any horror
> stories to relate?
> --Joel

   Horror, no, interesting?   Well, yes, to one possesed of an obtuse
obsession for arcane behavior of complex structures............

    The S&S D on stage at Sewanee was exhibiting tuning instabilty when I was
first called. I was told that it had been that way "a long time".  Much blame
had been put on the hall HVAC, the lights, the doors, the audiences, etc.,
plus,  "everybody pounds".

    Hmmmm.... on first sight, I beheld one of those sugar coated technicians
dreams. A concert piano totally out of regulation,  worn out action,  missing
a string, (F 21, of all strings to be missing. I never saw one break at the
break on a model D.),  and right there in the middle of it all
was............. no brace !

    Make notes, measurements, etc,  call Glory at Steinway, she rattles
around on the shelf and finds two left-over braces. Sends one to me raw.
    Get it painted, and prepare to take everything I need to index the places
for the new holes, (blanks are undrilled, and this is a machine grade fit).
Also tools and implements of destruction, as the blanks will need grinding to
fit.


   When I arrive back two weeks later, I walk in with the new bar, and the
stage manager says, " Hey, what is that thing?, we have one just like that,
that has been around backstage for years!!  <sigh>

     The factory said to let the tension down on the two octaves nearest the
distal attachment.

      I lightly pressed the original brace in position before letting the
tension down, and placed a magnetic based dial indicator so that I could
measure relative motion between the plate and the strut.
    After six notes were lowered a half step, the strut dropped in approx
..005" ,  a light press pushed it another .010".  By the time the whole two
octaves had been detuned, the strut was .060" below where it had been.  The
machine screws pulled it into a "hard fit" by moving it down another .020".
    The ends of these struts, being wedge shaped, exert compressive force
between the attachments.  From the amount of movement in the plate caused by
reduced tension, I have made the assumption that the strut is stabilizing
 the broad expanse of hitch pin area where it is located.
    Tuning has not been a problem since, ( or at least I have not heard, I
don't tune the piano).

    Now, I know that the factory has ears here at the list, so this seems to
be a real good time for them to step in, and give us the low-down on exactly
what we should keep in mind as we deal with the strut questions.  There are
still going to be people taking them out, and all technicians would benefit
 greatly  from being knowledgable about what the makers recommend.

 * I am all ears on this one *

Regards,
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn.