Cast Iron Pinblock

[Jon Page]

If the pins are too tight, can't you relieve the tension by easing back on the
wedge on the bottom of the pin? I had one once and tightend the pins by
tapping the wedges deeper up into the pin, be careful with this though,
you don't want to crack the plate.

Jon Page

At 07:42 AM 3/4/98 -0800, you wrote:
>I take care of a cast iron pin block in a Wurlitzer here on
>Martha'sVineyard.  The piano is extremely stable.  It's also one of the few
>pianos for which I extend my tuning hammmer when tuning because the pins
>are so tight.  I broke one pin and they are a devil to deal with.
>David Stanwood

>>From: Rolland Miller <rmiller@EN.COM>
>>Subject: Cast Iron Pinblock
>>Hello list,
>>I am trying to determine the longevity of a "cast iron pinblock". Please
>>see below.
>>Tuesday morning 3/2/98, I checked out a Wurlitzer 5'3" grand - SN 101066
>>made about 1929 I believe.  The piano was origionally a player but that
>>mechanisim had been removed.  When I tested the tuning pin torque by tuning
>>a few notes, I couldn't believe the strength that old block had. When I
>>checked under the pinblock for ply separations/cracks I found out why.
>>There was no pinblock - the tuning pins were embedded in the plate.  Each
>>tuning pin had a slot cut in it at the bottom and a tiny wedge was tapped
>>up into each slot to adjust torque.  
>>The piano is now about 70 years old.  I have no past experience with a
>>"cast iron pinblock".
>>What have been others experienced with this type of "pinblock"?
>>Rolland Miller, RPT