Recrowning

[Marcel Carey]

>Curious to know the name of piano and where the shim (wedgie, I might
>as well be the first one to make a crack on this one) was placed.
>R Moody
>
Richard and List,

The piano was a Heintzman "M" probably built around 1914. I don't know who
the technician was. The work had been done long time before I even attempted
to tune pianos. There were two shims. One just under the plate's strut
between tenor and treble and one in the middle of the tenor section.

To me, the best sounding bridges are made of laminated maple or mixture
topped by a hard maple cap. From what I've read in "Piano Tone Building",
the bridge should be one piece or laminated but with longitudinal grain as
to carry the vibrations all the way along the bridge. Cutting the bridge in
one or two places, IMHO, is just contrary to the original purpose.

Hope this will remove all doubts.

Marcel Carey, RPT
Sherbrooke, QC
>> From: Marcel Carey <mcpiano@multi-medias.ca>

>>
>> I once saw a baby grand that had had that repair made (shim in the
>bridge). I
>> can assure you that the repair had NOT restored any sustain to the
>board.
>> The board maybe wasn't flat anymore, but it DIDN'T sound anything
>close to a
>> new soundboard. To me, this kind of repair is a loss of time and
>customer's
>> money.
>>
>> Marcel Carey, RPT
>> Sherbrooke, QC
>>
>> At 07:48 97-05-29 -0700, you wrote:
>> >Richard and list,
>> >
>> >AHA, there's the rub.
>> >
>> >Even if you put in multiple wedges, the crown so induced has a net
>affect
>> >only on the area of the board in the immediate vicnity of the
>bridge.
>> >(Leonard, among others talked about this, I am not sure if he
>endorsed it.)
>> >
>> >
>> >Also, "wedge" is a relative term.  In this case, it would be not
>so much a
>> >wedge as a shim, driven into a saw kerf after the board is jacked
>up.  The
>> >kerf, to be effective, would have to be made _prior_ to jacking up
>the
>> >board, so as to be more open when the crown is "corrected", thus
>allowing a
>> >larger wedge, which would, in turn, not only be more effectively
>clamped in
>> >place, but would create more "staying power" in the induced crown.
> The
>> >placement of the kerfs should be determined during the taking of
>your very
>> >painstaking measurements...
>> >
>> >Like I said, just about as much trouble as installing a new board,
>without
>> >the benefits.
>> >
>> >Best.
>> >
>> >Horace
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >>In reply, so as to keep the thread on Horace's comments, I seem
>to
>> >>remember Leonard Jared talking about placing a wedge in the
>bridge
>> >>ala keystone fashion. This would involve cutting the bridge in
>such a
>> >>way to insert this as I don't think he mentioned removing the
>bridge.
>> >> This is so vague in my memory, I am not sure of any other
>details.
>> >>Perhaps some one else has heard of this.  The soundboard had to
>> >>"jacked up" the incision made (before or after?) in a
>predetermined
>> >>spot, the wedge inserted, and the sb let back down.  This was
>only
>> >>from "hearsay" and  was it from him even??
>> >>	Even if this is a case of me not distingushing dreams from
>reality,
>> >>(is that why I perceive some saying, "Ah ha, he has let the cat
>out
>> >>of the bag?") on THINKing about this, more than one wedge might
>be
>> >>needed.  But where?  Also I would like to ask, how does the
>bridge
>> >>run in relation to the crown?
>> >>
>> >>Richard Moody
>> >>
>> >>"I wanted only to try to live in accord with the promptings
>> >>which came from my true self.
>> >>Why was that so very difficult?"
>> >>Hermann Hesse  Demian
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>Ever seen a wine cork placed between the wooden post and a rib?
>> >>Probably to stop a buzz. Not the one created by uncorking the
>wine
>> >>bottle.   rm
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>----------
>> >>> From: Horace Greeley <hgreeley@leland.Stanford.EDU>
>> >>> To: pianotech@byu.edu
>> >>> Subject: Re: Recrowning
>> >>> Date: Wednesday, May 28, 1997 8:08 PM
>> >>>
>> >>> Jon,
>> >>>
>> >>> Gee, I don't know, this is my fourth post to the list in one
>day...
>> >>>
>> >>> You wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> >I heard from a guy who claimed he can re-establish sound
>> >>> >board crown with shims. Even if it has 3/8" negative crown.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >Can someone fill me in on what I might have missed in the
>> >>> >last few years of trying to keep up with the last few hundred
>> >>> >years?
>> >>>
>> >>> Sure - this is something a bunch of us retired a long time ago.
> It
>> >>does
>> >>> keep surfacing, however.
>> >>>
>> >>> So, now that you know what my prejudice is:
>> >>>
>> >>> While there are different methods, the deal is to disassemble
>the
>> >>piano,
>> >>> usually invert it, wedge the board up by driving wedges(!)
>between
>> >>the
>> >>> beams and ribs, then proceed with whatever repairs are in order
>for
>> >>the
>> >>> board (shimming, etc.), then glue all in place (except for the
>> >>wedges, of
>> >>> course).
>> >>> Among the variations I've seen/tried
>> >>snip   see thread
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Horace Greeley			hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu
>> >
>> >LiNCS				voice: 415/725-4627
>> >Stanford University		fax: 415/725-9942
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>