[pianotech] Bechstein Cracked Plate and Pin Block

[Ed Sutton]

The pinblock sagging and the plate cracking are inter-related. They weren't 
engineered to last a century.
Bob Hohf has specialized in these pianos. He adds re-enforcement when he 
rebuilds them.
It ain't simple.
Articles were in the Journal about 10 years ago, or contact him at 
rhohf at centurytel.net
Ed Sutton



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 9:57 AM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bechstein Cracked Plate and Pin Block


> There are a particular vintage of Bechstein pianos that very often crack 
> in
> that spot--early 1900's don't remember when exactly.  Personally, I agree
> and would not do anything invasive with this piano that involved playing
> with the tensions unless it was a complete teardown repair the cracks with
> the plate-repair-method-of-the-day and even then with serious disclaimers
> about any guarantees that the struts won't fail again. My tendency is to
> avoid these situations.  Give it to the more adventurous young folks whose
> hearts are a bit stronger than mine.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
> Behalf
> Of Ron Nossaman
> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 8:27 PM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bechstein Cracked Plate and Pin Block
>
> William Truitt wrote:
>
>> The plate cracks are where Bechstein plates usually crack.
>
> Isn't this the "it's supposed to smoke like that" general
> purpose conversation stopper? "Usually" crack? Wouldn't the
> thing to do be following the current physicians' credo to not
> come within a mile of anything that's not on the malpractice
> insurance approved list of absolutely safe and maximally
> profitable procedures, and charge whatever it's possible to
> get away with to duck anything else?
>
> Quoth the Wopper, the only way to win is not to play the game,
> at least in this case.
>
> Ron N
>
>
>