I'm curious about something -- what does it SOUND like when a plate cracks, as compared to when a double-covered string breaks in the bass section? --- John Delacour <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk> wrote: > At 7:13 AM -0600 12/13/01, Todd Mapes wrote: > > >This week I experienced my first cracked plate. ... > I then > >explained the pitch raise procedure that I > performed and told him > >that to the best of my knowledge, I had exercised > due professional > >care .... > >So, that brings me to the questions - Have you or > anyone you know > >been sued because of a cracked plate? If so, how > did you defend > >yourself in court and what was the ultimate > outcome? > > I'm sure your client hasn't a leg to stand on. If a > plate cracks, it > is almost certainly the maker's fault and in this > case the plate > almost certainly had a crack 3/4 the way through the > metal either > since new or for a long time. > > In Europe every technician is familiar with cracking > plates in > certain old Bechstein grands. These plates were > installed "green", > ie. without being weathered, and besides, the > pattern-maker made the > corners far too sharp and inadequately filleted so > that the plates > have terrific internal stress from the beginning. > These plates can > crack in four or five places. If one of these > should open up during > a pitch raise or a move or just spontaneously, > that's just the > owner's bad luck. > > Whenever I restring a piano now, I warn the customer > that in the very > unlikely event of the plate breaking, I will take no > responsibility. > I was very lucky once to notice an incipient crack > in a bar of an > Ibach grand I was about to rebuild. I phoned the > customer and warned > her the bill would be higher, since I'd need to have > the plate > stitched. Indeed, when I took off the tension, the > crack widened and > the bar parted. I thanked goodness I'd covered > myself. The cause of > the original crack was pure maker error; the plank > did not mate with > the underside of the plate and the forcible screwing > down of the > plate to the plank when the piano was made had > introduced an > insupportable stress. > > The piano you are dealing with is obviously for the > scrap heap, but > cracked plates can be stitched successfully using > the Metallock > process. This involves a special dumbbell-shaped ( > =O=O=O=O= ) > "rivet" of high-tensile nickel which joins the two > parts together. > Metallock have centres in various places and a man > comes out to the > job. Very impressive and, in my limited (thank > goodness) experience, > quite successful. Cast iron CANNOT be welded or > brazed. > > Good luck with your client. The best thing is to > get one or two > reputable technicians to write to you explaining the > situation and > show the letters to your client. If he's adamant, > it's his own > look-out. You can sleep easy. > > JD > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com
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