In a message dated 8/18/99 5:52:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time, you write: << > I know of two pianos that catastrophically failed when Accu-just hitch pins > were installed. In both cases the plate broke off at the hitch pin line > before the piano was even up to pitch. These failures were back when > Accu-just hitch pins had just been introduced, but the pianos currently being > "upgraded" with new pins were not designed for this type of replacement. > There is not only degradation of the plate strength due to removal of > material, but also the leverage effect of not having the strings sit at plate > level. Any other disasters out there? >> Yes, when I had an apprentice working for me, he had got a cheap grand for nothing and wanted to rebuild it. Part of what he wanted to do was to rescale it and that meant putting some wound strings in the low tenor. We were advised to use the Accu-Just Hitch Pins from Baldwin (even though I never undestood why that was supposed to have been an advantage over simply driving new standard hitch pins). Although we put the holes way back of the original hitch pins an a staggered row and had plenty of space between them, the plate cracked in that area a few hours after the first chipping. We were advised that we could repair that failure and reinforce the area to accept the strain but the young fellow was so disappointed that he did not want to continue. He later found a Steinway L that he paid very little for and rebuilt that to his complete satisfaction. The failed cast iron frame was sold to a sculptor for $25.00. Bill Bremmer RPT
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