[pianotech] Pee + Bolts

[Michael Magness]

On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 1:37 PM, <wimblees at aol.com> wrote:

> Brian
>
> To get the rods out of the box, remove the bottom, remove the pedals,and
> hammer the rods out. I would suggest you get new rods. The old ones will be
> very pitted,and won't look good.
>
> I doubt if just those three stripped plate screws are causing the
> instability. But there might be others under the strings that might also be
> stripped, in which case this is a warrantee issue. If it's just those
> screws, you'll need to get the screws out first, then plug up the hole, and
> redrill.
>
> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
> Piano Tuner/Technician
> Mililani, Oahu, HI
> 808-349-2943
> Author of:
> The Business of Piano Tuning
> available from Potter Press
> www.pianotuning.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian Doepke <bdoepke at verizon.net>
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Sent: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 7:51 am
> Subject: [pianotech] Pee + Bolts
>
>   Hello,
>
> Came across a 1920’s grand whose brass pedal rods are corroded where they
> enter the wooden pedal box.  They are frozen and won’t move.  After pointing
> out the corrosion to the owners, they THEN tell me that many years ago there
> was a dog that would urinate on the pedal box.  Uh?  Yeah!  That would
> probably corrode them.
>
> Any advice on how to “unfreeze” them?  I already told them that I would
> have to take the whole pedal mechanism/ Lyre off and polish the rods back at
> the shop.  I am not going to do the job in their home.
>
> Also, came across a Chickering baby grand, fairly new, and there are 3
> front plat e screws, right in the middle of the piano,  that appear to be
> stripped..they just spin around and don’t grab any wood.  How can this be
> fixed?  I imagine that it can contribute to a lack of stability in the
> instrument.
>
> Thank you folks,
>
> *Brian P. Doepke, RPT*
> *A.A.A. Piano Works, LLC*
> *Piano Tuning + Service*
> www.aaapianoworks.com
>
>
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>


A second possibility  regarding the stripped plate bolts, is that they may
not be stripped at all but rather snapped off and you are turning only a
short piece of the bolt.
Years ago I was setting up an asian piano that shall remain nameless and as
it had arrived in the dead of our Wisconsin winter, I was checking all of
the plate bolts, one snapped right where the threads begin. I called the
manufacturer's tech support and they told me not to worry about it.
The piano was delivered that way and has been in place, a hotel, for about
20+ years. Always held tune, no one has ever noticed the "loose" bolt.

Mike
-- 
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
Steven Wright


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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