spring think bling bling

[Michael Gamble]

Hello Ric B. 
I'd rate the damage as serious for the very reasons you state. 200K is a lot
to spend and what do they get for that right now? So recapping, and all that
involves, is the way I'd suggest. Who, though, picks up the tab? On the
other hand it couldn't be in better hands than yours, Ric.
Regards
Michael G.(UK)

-----Original Message-----
From: Ric Brekne [mailto:ricbrek@broadpark.no] 
Sent: 18 September 2005 19:19
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: spring think bling bling

Hi Joe

You are correct. No clear termination. You can actually see how bad the 
damage is if you are looking for it in the pictures. The angle downwards 
of the groove at the pins is quite severe and deep enough question 
whether positive bearing at that point is at all possible. The worst 
ones look to be about a half a mm deep. 

Point is... this is a 3 year old  $200,000 piano. If any real repair 
work is to be done I would think a recap would be the clear choice.  
Sure you can epoxy and plane down to the origional height, but the 
stress lines around the bridge pins remain and sooner or later will turn 
into cracks me thinks.  Epoxing a whole set of bridge pins on so young a 
D ???  I mean.. what a shame eh ??

David and Micheal.

Both are correct each in their own way.  The strings do not sit at the 
bottom of their <<ruts>> at the pins. The angle of the groove is too 
deep for that... so in that sense shaving down to match will indeed 
reduce downbearing.  On the otherhand... the ruts cross the entire 
surface of the bridge already... so downbearing has already been 
decreased to some degree.  In the middle of the bridge surface the 
depression is perhaps 0.25 mm... perhaps a bit less.

Seems to me like the process has basically hastened what natural wear on 
the bridge surface by 15-20 years... in addition to causing deep and 
steep angled grooving at the pins.

So how do you guys rate the damage----  light.. severe.... fatal.... 
inconsequential ???   Myself, I rate the damage as quite serious.

Thanks for the replies.
RicB

Hi Ric,
I am guessing that the string does not have a clear termination point 
due to its riding in the valley of the rut or groove. As it sings the 
termination is sometimes on the side of the pin and again on the valley 
of the groove. Never together as it should be. How is the bearing? 
Enough to de-pin and shave the ruts out? Then re-pin?

Joe Goss RPT Mother Goose Tools