REPORT: Results of "CA challenge" treatment on a temporary grand. (?) It was to be used for a performance in 5 days, then auctioned off the day after, just to get rid of it. Piano - Emerson grand, most pins so loose they would unwind and leave the note an octave low. Formerly heavily overtreated with Garfields tightener (dried pools of the stuff on the plate). No pin bushings, allowing easier fill of plate holes around pins. Day one: Pulled action, protected keybed with foil and paper towels (found to be necessary) and treated the pinblock with thin Seth Smith brand CA resin superglue. Used lots of superglue, about three ounces, but without accelerator. Glue was wicking into the serial number hole, making the edges of it looking wet. Kept filling until level started to come up in the holes. Difficult to do well with such thin glue, ready to drip out in the wrong places. Left action out of piano overnight. Day two: Pin torque on almost every pin was marginal. Perhaps 18-20 inch pounds, some far greater. Pitch raised and rough tuned. Treated a number of pins again. Day four: Came for final tunings before performance. Pin torque was generally lower than on day two. Many were 12-15 inch/lbs, with 20-30 pins were just barely holding. Too late to do more, eased those pins into holding. The pianist was delighted with the piano for the performance, but I don't see how. Results: Did not work well enough. Perhaps too for gone, too compromised with Garfield's. I would like to have flipped the piano and treated it from below with slightly heavier CA glue, which I think might have worked, but did not have the opportunity. The piano is gone, I don't know where. I pity the poor sot that tries to get the pinblock off the plate. If anyone reports on the sucess of this procedure, I would appreciate knowing the brand of glue and the amount used. Reported in response to the helpful posts to me before I treated the piano. Bill Simon Phoenix
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC