Replacing Upright Pinblocks (was Re: Old uprights)

[Dave Nereson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phillip Ford" <fordpiano@earthlink.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: Replacing Upright Pinblocks (was Re: Old uprights)


> >     I disagree!  How do you mean?  The sides don't just "pop" off!
They're
> >glued on, and quite securely!  The pinblock does not remove easier than
in a
> >grand, where it just unscrews (except the ones that are doweled into the
> >sides and/or the front stretcher).  It's glued, in many cases, on 4 or 5
> >sides out of 6.  And Bolduc's method of drilling a few hundred foot-long
> >holes around the perimeter is much more work than in a grand, and the bit
> >and jig are quite expensive!
> >  ....
> >      --David Nereson, RPT
>
> Drilling a few hundred holes?  I'm curious about this method.  Has it been
> described in the Journal?

    Andre Bolduc demonstrated an L-shaped jig that screwed or clamped to the
face of the old pinblock, I believe, then hung down the top of the block
(piano lying on its back).  The part that hangs down has a guide for a big
foot-long, half-inch (or so) diameter drill bit.  You start at one end and
drill holes the depth of the pinblock (actually, height of the pinblock when
the piano is standing up in normal position) as close together as you can.
The drill stop or gauge or piece of masking tape around the bit is set for
that depth (actually height, that is, the pinblock's vertical dimension when
piano is upright).  Divide the width of the piano by the diameter of the bit
and that's approximately how many holes you have to drill.  Now there are
little bits of wood still between all the holes, since you can't drill holes
precisely next to each other or the drill bit will "find" or "seek" the
adjacent hole and not go straight.  You've got all these holes OOOOOOOO but
you have to remove the wood between the 'O' s -- the hour-glass shaped
remaining walls between the holes.  I think he used a bil ol' chisel and a
mallet.  And I mean a 3-inch wide wide one and a big mallet.
    Once he chopped out the block, I think the surface was smoothed with a
router, then prepared for the new pinblock.
    Yes, it was described in the Journal, but I don't know which issue.
    Terry Farrel's method of renting a big circular saw, or maybe even using
a chain saw, seems easier.  A tech from our chapter once demonstrated
removing a Steinway grand pinblock using an electric chain saw with a
pre-set-up "track," or guide, attached to the stretcher.  But that's where
the block was doweled or glued to the stretcher.  In an upright, for
removing the sides or pinblock with a chain saw, you'd need some way to keep
the blade exactly vertical, or horizontal, depending on your set-up, so it
wouldn't chew up the sides or the back assembly too much.  I guess any
chewed-up wood or gaps will be filled by the glue you use when it's
re-assembled, but the surface on which the new block is glued has to remain
relatively undamaged.
OR:
    If you're rebuilding the whole piano, including refinishing, re-guilding
the plate, new block, new board, new everything else, then just leave the
old assembly in the driveway or back yard for several months, and after it's
been alternately rained on and baked in the sun several times, it'll just
knock apart with a small sledge hammer.    ;-)
    --David Nereson, RPT