Foundry Castings

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: August 27, 2002 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: Foundry Castings


> Not just cast iron, but #50 cast iron is specified in
> the AS&W transcriptions. These guys were no dopes!
> They made some pretty astounding pianos around 1900,
> as I'm sure you will admit. Strike steel and it rings.
> Strike cast iron and it goes "thud". Specific
> resonances COULD be a problem on long members.

True, they could be. But there are many ways to damp them effectively. Have
you ever played on, or tested, a piano having a steel plate? The Steinway
steel plate castings come to mind. No ringing bars.



> You
> could also talk to Bill Edgerton of (I think) Norwalk
> Ct.. ( Also in Music Box Society International ) He
> made a bunch of reproduction Seeburg KT Special
> Orchestrions in the 1970's with aluminum plates.
> Perhaps you could ask him how that went.

Several companies have built pianos using aluminum plates. None of those I
have seen were particularly well designed. Unfortunately they do not tell us
whether or not the material would work if the plate were properly designed
to accommodate the characteristics of the aluminum.

Del