Terry,
As others have mentioned, having 3 of these in a piano is very unusual. I think you already understand the advantages of connecting the plate to the structure. It's not an essential design (the strength can be built into the piano in other ways), but good for stability and tonal power.
In manufacturing the piano maker has to have allowances for fitting the pinblock, getting the bridge locations correct, and making sure the string lengths correct (hopefully). In order to do this but also brace the plate against the belly rail / beam structure, there needs to be a spot in the design for a "fudge factor." This allows for slight differences in the plate casting / shrinkage, as well as the way the rim and beam assembly go together. Many modern pianos use large bolts to fill this gap, while others still use hardwood or metal blocks custom made and trimmed to fill the space in each piano.
These spacer blocks are usually slightly wedge shaped (I call them "plate horn wedge blocks") so that they can be lightly tapped into the gap to hold them tight before the strings are installed. I would scratch numbers in them and put each back into their respective gaps when the piano goes back together. Ideally the plate should be screwed down tight, then the blocks should be knocked into the gaps and made tight before the strings are put on.
If these are not tapered, then a drop of super glue should hold them in place during stringing. If they do not fill the gaps all the way, though, it would be best to make new ones that completely fill the spaces, and are slightly tapered so that they can be knocked in tight.
Story time: I was once sent out to check an old M&H BB that had been rebuilt under contract for a dealer, then sold. The new owner was complaining that it didn't stay in tune well. When I checked the piano the tuning pins were not very tight, but then I found that both wedges (this is the only BB I have seen that had 2 plate horns) were missing. I took measurements of the gaps, rough cut new wedges out of some scrap iron I had at home, then filed them to fit tight at the customer's home. Then I changed the tuning pins - and man oh man, did that piano ever sound better! It had a big, fat tone that was missing before, and this really demonstrated to me that those plate horns can really contribute to the sound!
Don Mannino
----- Original Message -----
From: pianolover 88
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2009 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Weird Pease Grand
Yeah it's cast iron not wood. So what is the purpose of these three metal "inserts"? Since I sublet the stringing out to someone else-he's the best, and many techs I know use his stringing services-I guess I will have to alert him to these inserts to make sure that he puts them in proper place before re-stringing! Just not sure why they even exist, and why there are "spaces" there to begin with. Does it make removal of the plate easier?
Here's pics of the action and whipps.
Terry Peterson
Accurate Piano Service
UniGeezer.com
"Over 50, and not "2" Tired!"
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From: irs.pianos at earthlink.net
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:55:12 -0700
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Weird Pease Grand
Terry ! How is the Whiipen on that piano?? .I service 2 Pease's in my cieints homes and whippens have very un-ususal design,some additional spring lever around repetition lever.... One of them is ready for new pinblock,tuning pins are flagpooling.beutiful,well preserved walnut case,ornate music desk.... If new Pin block job will happen-I will be on the alert for those wedges.. isaac
On Aug 30, 2009, at 2:40 PM, pianolover 88 wrote:
I had taken some pics for before & after reference, and this is the best pic I found that shows the area where those little "wedges" fit. Two of three "spaces" are visible in this pic.
Terry Peterson
Accurate Piano Service
UniGeezer.com
"Over 50, and not "2" Tired!"
> Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:38:41 -0500
> From: mike.spalding1 at verizon.net
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Weird Pease Grand
>
> Between needs two objects. the underside of the plate is one, what's
> the other??
>
> Mike
>
> pianolover 88 wrote:
> > This time I looked closed and noticed that each of the three total
> > pieces had fallen out of a spaces between the underside of the plate!
> >
> >
> > <http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:SI_SB_facebook:082009>
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Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for you. Try Bing now. <pease.jpg>
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