plate gonna break?

[Farrell]

I agree with Jon. If you have raised pitch significantly several times, there absolutely must be something moving. Either the plate top is going down (pinblock/plate/frame separation), the plate bottom is going up (broken strut or somesuch - maybe the whole wooden frame has come unglued - did you check the back of the piano for movement?), or the soundboard is moving a LOT (although I don't think even if the soundboard went from lots of downbearing to zero downbearing that would account for several pitch raises and still flat). Somehow that plate virtually must either be broken and is moving, or it is bending. You could also take a little straight edge and check various locations (vertically) on the plate where you think it should be flat to see if it is bending. I know on the one big pinblock separation job I did the plate was almost creased over up at the treble end of the long bridge.

I would inspect very closely plate (every place for cracks, movement and bending), top (as Jon suggested), and piano back. The sooner the better. If all appears good, I agree with other comments that I would then wait several weeks - maybe a full month after the carpet gets dry and everything is normal at the home - and maybe try once more. Something is going on, and it should not justifiably remain a mystery!

Please let us know what you find. This is most interesting.

Or, just move out of town!

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Page" <jonpage2001@attbi.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: plate gonna break?


> At 11:44 PM 2/28/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> >     Tried to tune a 1964 Wurlitzer spinet today that I've tuned many times,
> >but the treble just wouldn't hold.  Tuning pin torque was good -- not even
> >marginally loose.   A4 was only a couple beats flat, so I did a pitch raise,
> >overshooting by a beat or so.  Then started over to fine tune and the treble
> >was still way flat.  So I pitch raised just the treble, then went back to
> >fine tune and the treble was still way flat.  So I raised it again,
> >overpulling more than usual. Still way flat. Raised it again. Still quite
> >flat. In the middle of this 4th (!!) treble pitch raise,
> 
> Remove the veneer or felt which covers the top of the block and back.
> My guess is that you'll see the two separating.
> 
> If so, clamp them back as much as you can and drill for a 3/8" carriage bolt.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jon Page,   piano technician
> Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass.
> mailto:jonpage@attbi.com
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
>