Knabe craked plate

[David B. Stang]

Friends,
Here's another question about my 1900 Knabe 6'4 grand. The plate is 
cracked. The cracks are in the two treble bars, and just above the
pinblock. I am planning to take it to a welder whom I understand is the
best qualified person to work on piano plates in the state of Ohio. 
However, I just read an article in the Journal (June '03) written by
B.M. Patchett, et.al., discussing a plate from a mid-1800's Schiedmayer
which was cracked in the same way as mine. The authors made a bunch of
measurements and created a model of the stresses and came to the
conclusion that the plate would fail again even with the best welds in
the world.  They ended up adding steel reinforcing bars to the tops of
the treble bars. Well, now I'm wondering if my Knabe is in the same
boat. Any wisdom ??

thanks.
David B. Stang
Columbus, Ohio