CA glue a Baldwin

[Greg Newell]

Daniel,
         If you can't find a serial number it's 
probably not a fantastic specimen of piano 
technology so apply to your hearts content. Make 
sure you have a great deal of ventilation!

best,
Greg Newell


At 10:54 PM 3/7/2006, you wrote:
>i'm considering using CA glue on a small Baldwin (i haven't found a serial
>number yet and i didn't measure the piano) but i might guess that it would
>be at least 50+. it was rebuilt about 30 years ago. aparently someone used
>pin tite or garfields or whatever on it without telling the customer.
>i looked at the piano for the first time last week and many of the notes
>were very sour. a couple of pins in the bass simply wouldn't stay put.
>i explained the situation to the customer. i told them they could either
>replace the pinblock or do a temporary fix with CA. i told them it might or
>might not work. they wanted to try the CA to see if it could make the piano
>tunable until they could save enough money for a new PB.
>so i was reading up on CA since this will be my first time to use it, and i
>ran across a message or two that advised against ever using CA on a good
>grand:
>
> >"Piesik, John (JPIESIK)" wrote:
> >
> > > Dear List,
> > >
> > > Last month I requested info on CA glue for loose tuning pins. It's only
> >fair
> > > that I report the results, especially to those who thoughtfully
> >responded.
> > > And the results are: it worked, and it didn't work. It appears that, in
> >my
> > > opinion, CA glue can pull you out of a "slippy" situation, sometimes. A
> > > couple of the pins I tried it on were so loose that the CA glue was not
> > > effective. Thus, I muted those strings that wouldn't tune, got my client
> > > through her Christmas party, and recommended that the next step is a
> > > replacement or rebuild.
> > >
> > > Now, following are some comments, my opinions, of course, regarding this
> > > matter:
> > >
> > > When a piano is in need of CA glue on more than a few tuning pins, it's
> >in
> > > need of a lot more than just CA glue. I would not recommed CA gluing or
> > > doping an entire pinblock - I shudder at the thought - although, I know
> >some
> > > folks do, and that's fine for them. I've learned that there are many
> >ways to
> > > skin a cat in this business, but, to me, some cats are best left alone.
> >(In
> > > order to buy a little more time in an emergency, on a few pins at best,
> > > then, CA glue may be the ticket. And, there are other ways to solve a
> >loose
> > > tuning pin problem, too!) But, let's face it, doping an entire pinblock
> >is a
> > > bandaid fix.
> > >
> > > It's a funny thing that in the last month I've encountered two more
> >pianos
> > > (grands) that are not holding tension due to loose pins. I admit I CA
> >glued
> > > two pins on a Yamaha gray-market piano to "buy some more time", but the
> > > other was just too far gone. In these cases, I recommended replacement
> >or
> > > have them rebuilt (preferably with new PBs). It's apparent that I'm
> >running
> > > into increasingly more pianos with "loose pin" troubles (are you?). I
> >don't
> > > think that this is some kind of coincidence, either, and here's why.
> >Many
> > > pianos were sold to/for boomers during the 50s, 60s and 70s. The
> >condition
> > > of these pianos, coming from the historical height of US piano sales,
> >due to
> > > the pianos ages, is now starting to deteriorate (the pianos are now over
> >30
> > > years old). I am not a rebuilder, but, I would bet dollars to donuts
> >that
> > > the piano rebuilding business is going to see a flurry of new work in
> >the
> > > very near future - if it hasn't already begun. And piano sales will
> >continue
> > > to increase with even more vigor. (I would someday like to have a shop
> >and
> > > become a rebuilder; it's very rewarding work. And, there are not enough
> >good
> > > rebuilders - there seems to be plenty of room for more. The Aerospace
> > > industry has a similar problem with more talent leaving or retiring and
> >not
> > > enough good talent coming in - but that's a whole other story.)
> > >
> > > Bandaids only hold for so long, then they fall off. Doping pinblocks is
> >a
> > > bandaid. Our clients, and thus the piano industry as a whole, in my
> >opinion,
> > > would benefit from either recommending a new piano or a rebuilt piano
> > > instead of applying a bandaid to a piano beginning its dying cough. It's
> >up
> > > to us to gently guide our clients to the right decision. The fact is,
> >all of
> > > us are going to be encountering more and more of these untunable pianos.
> >Do
> > > we squirt CA glue into them and cross our fingers, or do we recommend a
> >new
> > > purchase or a rebuild? The bandaid approach, I think, hurts everyone.
> >The
> > > later recommendation has obvious benefits for our industry, at least in
> >my
> > > mind.
> > >
> > > What do you think?
> > >
> > > Warmest Regards,
> > >
> > > John Piesik, RPT
> > > Piesik's Piano Service
> > > Oceanside, CA
> > > (760) 726-4665
>
>my thought is this: i've explained the sitch to the owners, told them the
>good and the bad, and that CA is only a temporary fix. they decided to
>simply give it a try.
>
>if anyone thinks CA might not be a good idea on this particular occasion,
>let me know.
>
>AND another question...
>
>if i do go ahead with the job, what kind of time am i looking at/what should
>i charge?
>
>many thanks
>
>daniel carlton
>
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>_______________________________________________
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Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
mailto:gnewell at ameritech.net
www.gregspianoforte.com  
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