Piano Funnies for August 12, 2003

[Farrell]

Interesting. I had assumed a modern iron-plate grand would sink like a rock. I just did a guesstimated calculation for a modern 9' grand. IMHO, a generous guesstimate at the volume of materials (mostly wood - not that it matters though) in such a piano might be upwards of 110 bd.-ft. (my guess is that it is actually somewhere near that or less). Such a volume would displace 15,840 cubic inches of water, which in turn would weigh about 550 lbs. If my estimate was correct, considering that the S&S D weighs 990 lbs., and a common rock density might be around 2.65 g/cc, it likely would sink like a  rock. However, if I underestimated the volume by a factor of two (which I would find hard to imagine - but hey, wouldn't be the first time), then in fact, the piano would float. Now it would likely float if you plugged up the opening between the belly rail and the pinblock and the nose-bolt holes - and if seas were calm .........

I still think that it would be worth the effort to remove the plate and use just the plate for a boat mooring - not an anchor that would be raised and lowered on a routine basis!

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Conrad Hoffsommer" <hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2003 6:16 AM
Subject: Re: Piano Funnies for August 12, 2003


> At 05:32 8/14/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> >Would there be enough metal in an 1830s Broadwood to sink it - let alone 
> >use it for a boat anchor?
> >
> >Terry Farrell
> >
> 
> 
> No, I doubt it.  There have been stories on this list telling of floating 
> modern Steinways...
> 
> It did have an iron plate, but there IS a lot of wood there.
> 
> 
> 
> Conrad Hoffsommer - Music Technician
> Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
> Vox-(563)-387-1204 // Fax (563)-387-1076
> 
> - Education is what you get from reading the small print. Experience is 
> what you get from not reading it.
> 
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