I have a lot of experience with this issue. I can not do the welding myself but instead had it done in the past. There is also a technique of putting a cram in the crack. for more info about this last method asl colleague A. Duin (aduin@euronet.nl) When welding the plate, have them add a piece of iron under the crack. To make room for this, you have to make place for it in the pinblock. I have had numerous cracked Bechstein plates over the past decades, none of them ever re-opened. Friendly greetings from André Oorebeek >>Douglas K. Rhodes wrote: > I am researching repair feasability for an 1891 Bechstein 6' 8" grand that > has three cracks in the plate. It is one of at least three Bechstein grands > with cracked plates in this region (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, > Canada). The series of articles on this subject in the Piano Technicians > Journals (Dec 1996, Feb & Mar 1997) by Bob Hohf, RPT, were thoughtful and > informative. However, I am not entirely convinced that Bob's analysis of > the cause of the cracks is correct, and my initial consultations with a > highly qualified mechanical engineer suggest that so-called cold-welding of > the cracks will almost certainly guarantee future failure. > > Are there any of you out there who have tackled the Bechstein > plate/pinblock problem? Are there any who would like to help me open the > can of worms regarding cold-welding vs. pre-heating/oxyacetylene welding, > etc.? I'd appreciate any comments. > > Doug Rhodes, RPT > Victoria, BC > Canada
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