[pianotech] 2nd request - Repinning

Chuck Behm behmpiano at gmail.com
Sun Jun 21 23:00:37 MDT 2009


>Hi Chuck,
My answers for an upright repining. I assume you are installing new strings
on the project piano?
Carlos K. Ralon, RPT<

Thanks for the input, Carlos. I'll add your preferences to the data I'm
compiling.

 The project piano that I'm documenting will have new pinblock panels, new
strings and pins. Dave nearly has the refinishing of the case complete at
this point (one coat to go, I believe), and I've got quite a bit of the
action restoration done. I'll probably wait until after Grand Rapids to
router the pinblock for replacement panels. I also have to rebush and
recover the keys, so there's plenty left to do.

The questions in the survey, however, are geared towards a simple repinning
project in which the old strings are retained. I know some people would
never consider one without the other, but here in the midwest, many pianos
suffer from dry and loose pinblocks caused by heating systems that suck the
water out of the air for the entire winter. Often homes are so dry in the
winter that you get shocked from static electricity every time you touch
metal. So, a piano in that environment will eventually have loose tuning
pins. A lot of times the strings are the least of the problems, so if
finances are a concern for the customer, I recommend one job without the
other. (Sometimes, however, both repairs are needed - then we do both.)

In a typical year, I will repin 3 - 6 pianos, both grands and uprights, over
the course of a winter. When we have pianos in the shop to repin and
restring in the summer, we run both air conditioning and dehumidifiers to
keep the air as dry as possible.

Again, thanks for your input. I'll be posting the results of the survey in
several days, when I have a representative sample. Chuck
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