Hi Ed, Great testimony --really enjoyed reading your post. With nonexistent humidity, someone should open a piano factory in Windhoek and create good jobs, education, and a better economy. -Mike Jorgensen ETomlinCF3@AOL.COM wrote: > Hi all, > > I just got back from Africa. The pianos I saw were, for the most part, old > German uprights. 85 note two pedal pianos. In Windhoek they nearly all had > cracked bridges and loose pins. Actions in poor condition, hammers deeply > grooved and in bad regulation. Soundboards that, again, had cracks you could > drive a truck through. Humidity is nonexistant in Windhoek, Namibia. I did > come across a brand of piano fairly often called an Otto Bach. This company > went out of business some 5-6 years ago. This company was a South African > company. They seemed to hold up well in these extreme conditions. Thely had > laminated bridges and soundboards. The actions on some older models seemed > to be good german parts. On a newer Otto Bach I saw a currious detail. The > last damper was cut so that only two strings were dampened (the Yamaha way). > Yes it appeared to be a Yamaha action. This one looked, smelled, and played > as a Yamaha M1 would. Currious, huh? > > I did not know Yamaha sold actions to other companies...or maybe I am wrong > here. > > The most important item in my kit was... you guessed it ... CA glue. I had > several of the thin and many of the medium viscosity on hand. I met with > Brian Lawson in Joburg and he had some super glue he had bought locally and I > told him I would have to send him the good stuff. In South Africa you just > can't find this stuff. > > I began by placing pianos on their backs. Most of these pianos had been > declared dead by the Techs that have come out of Capetown or Joburg. I had > nothing to loose and everything to gain. I took the bass strings off the > bass bridges and filled the gaps first with a thin CA to wick into all the > areas below and then followed by the medium gap filling variety. After > letting it set for 15 minutes I would hit it with activator. Strings back on > and up to pitch they came... woops many loose pins... back on its back and > thin CA to the pins. I would fill the resivour with CA around the effected > pins and let it soak in. After ten minutes or so I pounded the pins in about > 2mm and began to bring pitch up on the piano. Time and time again the pianos > would feel great and come right up to pitch. I was considered a miracle > doctor from the States. My contacts there started to recieve calls from all > over the region for me to fix more pianos than my time would allow. I had > donated my trip and all my repair work to help the mission and those related > to the churches in that region and found it hard to turn down the other jobs > as desperate pleas began to pour in. > > I took one piano that was at a kids camp. This piano was over 100 years old, > had candle stick holders and well you can imagine. No torque and playing the > piano you could not recognize any pitch. One finger chords throughout the > intire piano. The camp needed the piano desperately and so, again having > nothing to loose and everything to gain I began the treatment. First the > Bridge repairs with my trusted companion (CA) and then two applications of > the CA glue (in a well ventilated area) to the pin block. I let this soak in > for a few hours and then came back and pounded the pins in about three to > four mm. The action needed lots of work. Some repinning, some new flanges. > Hammers were reshaped and then reregulated. Bushings were attended to and > etc. After some twelve or so hours of work I was on the third pitch raise > and to my amazement we started to have a wonderful sounding piano. The area > outside the chapel was beginning to have quite the crowd as they could not > believe the piano that had rotted in that church was coming back to life. I > saw tears in the eyes of the local manager as I played "It is Well With MY > Soul". What a powerful moment... no Steinway "D" had ever sounded as good to > me as that piano did in that moment. They began to sing with me and I began > to weep as these people began to praise the Lord with the piano that was > declared dead time and time again. > > After coming back to reality I realized that I had come this far and that it > would be nice to voice the hammers that remained and make it as good as it > could be for them. Knowing I would not soon return I set out to voice it. > Needle here and there to even out tone and in the treble notes(the last five > or so) I had not brought any juice. Yes you guessed it ... I did bring my > miracle juice. I remembered someone on the list saying they had voiced #88 > with thin CA glue and it helped so I tried it on my last note #85 in this > case. It worked wonders on the tone and so I went down to about four more > notes. I had a crisp treble and a round bass and was so satisfied with the > results. The last night there, we heard the Junior Church Musicians perform > with the piano and choir. I have video proof of a miracle. What a joy to > see all the people of that area smile and thank me for giving them something > they could never afford on their own. Many make less than $200 a month US. > > We were able to purchase two pianos for needy families while there. I found > a Yamaha M1 for just $670 US. Wow, wish I could do that here. The other > piano was an Otto Bach. Music will fill the air in Namibia. > > I replaced lots of bass strings and believe it or not I had brought all the > sizes that were needed. Brian had offered to get me any I needed and as it > turned out the universals I had worked in all cases. The pianos were old and > the universals worked out great. > > When I went to the coastal region the problems were different. No cracks in > the bridges just corrosion to the max. This is a region where even stainless > steel rusts. I repinned and repaired when I could. Lots of loose pins and > lots more CA treatments to follow. > > I had a wonderfully exhausting time in a beautiful country. Saw all the > wildlife you could imagine there after staying one night at a game reserve. > The sunsets were incredible. God's handywork everywhere. Any questions > about the trip are welcomed. > > Special thanks to Brian for helping me pass the time after such a long flight > over. I enjoyed meeting one of our dear friends over seas. This list is a > global piano wonder. Thanks to all for your support and thanks to those who > prayed for my safe return. > > Ed Tomlinson > Piano missionary =)
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