Restoring old uprights

[Newton Hunt]

Hi Charles,

You ask a lot of good questions, I will try to answer some of them with my
thoughts.

> "Can you replace a pin block in an old
>  upright with(out) completely tearing the back apart?"

Yes you can, but, is the piano worth the time and energy?  Some old uprights
were magnificent instruments, better than what is affordable today, but some
were the cheap stuff like you can buy now.  The old ones like Steinways, Masons,
Bush & Lane, and many others were first class pianos.  Many of the others like
Gulbrensen, as an example, were cheap then and are worthless today.

So, a piano needs to be carefully appraised as to the original quality and what
you are likely to get out of it when your work is done.  Doing a few pianos will
give you the information you need to make rational decisions, so, go to it.

Now, technically, it can be done.  One is to drill a large hole into the block
and replace the removed material with pin block plugs and redrill.  Great care
needs to be taken to assure that the plugs are well and truly glued into place
and that they will never (nearly) rotate.

Old blocks can be "revived" by dribbling CA glue down the pins, let set, tune,
reglue as needed.  This is a good solution but the worst of the lot, except for
using pin block "tighteners", a real no-no by any standard.

The third way is to remove the plate, route out sections of the old block and
replace with new material.  This assumes the old material is mechanically solid
and well secured.  Replace the plate and redrill.

> 2) In the method with the maple or pinblock material plugs, that requires
> taking the plate off, right? Otherwise I can't see how you'd get the plug
> in. Might be a silly question.

No, unless it is one of the ones that do not have plate bushings.  The plate can
be removed, the holes drilled out then plate replaced and redrilled.  Removing
an upright plate is not as difficult as in a grand, most of the time, so not
removing one is rather more of a bother.

> " Is he talking about replacing the
> pinblock, or filling and re-drilling the holes?

No, drilling out the holes with the plate in place minus the plate bushings. 
New bushings and redrilling the new plugs.  Plugs made from new pinblock
material is the way to go.  There is no other material that is useful in this
situation.  Not epoxy, fiberglass, talcum powder, etc.

> 4) Roy said that sometimes oversized pins don't work to his satisfaction. In
> those cases, what is the problem? Can that problem be determined ahead of
> time, or is it trial and error?

Larger pins act like larger windlasses.  A large pin will pull more wire per
turn than a smaller pin.  Old blocks often should be plugged or replaced instead
of being repinned.  Larger pins are very often a compromise and sometimes the
swing is the wrong way.  Knowing wood, construction, pins, feel of old and new,
testing before committing, knowing quality of product and a lot of other
decisions can help determine the better path.  There are so many clues to
quality in the action, case, engineering and other places that can help. 
Ultimately doing it right helps more than trying to determine what hides behind
a plate.

> 5) Regarding using oversized pins on an old upright: Is that just a way to
> get the job done in a reasonable and affordable way for the customer, or is
> it something you would do if money weren't an issue? 

In two words, yes, no.

> On the one hand, the pinblock on an old
> upright is well protected from the elements

Only to a limited degree.  Quality of materials, glue, construction and
engineering count for far more.  Some climates can destroy any piano and others
are benign.  Knowing some of the history is helpful but knowing quality and the
materials help more.

> and by using larger pins you might just be
> delaying or not dealing with a problem (like cracks).

Most exactly so, no argument, no discussion, no debate.

> Can someone jump in
> and offer more opinions?

No, mine is the only one that counts.  :)  Now if you belief that I know of a
bridge in Brooklyn...

Have a great Sunday all.

		Newton