Balwin 6'3"

[Richard Oliver Snelson]

Nose bolt block was not split.  I found it because after the break I
checked. Too late. Turned by hand, holding nothing. It now has a new
hard maple block epoxied in place. 


Ron Nossaman wrote:
> 
> >Which raises some questions: Are nose bolts absolutely necessary to
> >maintain the integrity of the plate or are they just there to dampen the
> >ringing? Does it depend on the piano? How does a nose bolt get
> >stripped?????
> >
> >Tom
> 
> Good questions. My understanding is that they are there primarily to tie
> the center of the plate to the rim via the beams, to raise the impedance of
> (stiffen) the plate so it will reflect, rather than absorb string energy. I
> probably wouldn't automatically assume that a plate cracked because a nose
> bolt was loose, though I wouldn't entirely rule it out either. It would
> seem to me that if the plate cracked because an unconstrained strut flexed
> too much, it ain't safe to be within fifty feet of the piano. This might be
> a good one to refer to someone in the area who has a less than "sterling"
> reputation. It might prove to be an ideal matching of a problem to a
> solution. Otherwise, I'd tend to think the crack is coincidental to a
> casting flaw rather than cause and effect relating to a loose nose bolt. As
> to how a nose bolt could get stripped, other than a split mounting block or
> a drop-in installation in the first place, I don't have any idea. I don't
> see how it's possible, with a properly installed bolt.
> 
> It's another of those "perspective", rather than "answer" things, but I'll
> give you what I've got... such as it is.
> 
> Ron N