please advise action bracket repair

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Tim:

These kinds of breaks usually happen when a piano falls over on its back.

You can remove a good bracket, lay it flat on a piece of plywood, attach
blocks of wood at various places as a caul to properly locate the 
bracket so that that there is no side movement. Then remove the good 
bracket, vee out the crack location,
and lay in the broken bracket. Most brackets can be tacked with brass
rod. Do not overheat the bracket in the brazing process, just enough to
tack the brackets together. Let cool. Tack again. And again. Watch for 
tendency to warp.

If you are not skilled in welding, you can epoxy splints on each side of
the break, then sand smooth at ends of the splints and spray all brackets
with bronze or aluminum if you like.

This is brief. If you need more details write privately.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

On Thu, 19 Feb 1998, Tim Keenan & Rebecca Counts wrote:

> Dear List:
> 
> I came across a situation the other day which I have not encountered
> before.  I went to tune a 1910 or so Heintzman full-size upright (or
> vertical as you Americans say) and found both of the end action brackets
> broken off below where they attach to the action.  The top parts were
> still attached to the bolts, and the owner had no idea how it got that
> way. I am presuming it was due to an end-on impact during moving. (The 
> bottom bits were still in situ).  It hadn't been tuned for a long time 
> (several years) and the previous tuner hadn't noticed (or commented on 
> it).  I wonder what advice you might have as to the best repair. My first 
> inclination was brazing, but I thought that epoxy might be easier and 
> safer.  I haven't used epoxy for such a repair before, but I think that 
> the rough crystalline surface of the broken cast metal might allow it to 
> work satisfactorily.
> 
> All suggestions gratefully accepted--especially from those who have
> successfully completed such a repair and had it last!
> 
> Thanks for all replies.
> 
> Tim Keenan
> Noteworthy Piano Service
> 
> 
> Terrace, BC
>