[pianotech] Gulbransen pedals

Dean May deanmay at pianorebuilders.com
Wed May 13 06:34:05 MDT 2009


JB Weld is amazing stuff. I carry it in my case now, the two tubes are
pretty small and don't weigh anything. 

 

Another pedal repair job it is useful for: the stamped steel pedals formed
into a U shape, the pivot rod knurling will wallow out the hole. Just put
the pin in place, slather JB weld around it, even fill the middle area of
the pedal with it. It works great. 

 

I ran across this problem 40 miles from home. I just went to the local auto
parts store as they all carry JB Weld and bought some. 

 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

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From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of paul bruesch
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 6:02 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Gulbransen pedals

 

A repair I recently did (and sadly neglected to take photos...) was on a
1954 Gulbransen spinet. The pedal had been repaired once already, possibly
twice. It had been brazed, I believe, then "reinforced" with some thin metal
straps attached with nuts/screws through the vertical holes. 

When I first encountered it, it was broken in two places. I went to Lowe's
or Menard's and bought some aluminum channel, and also some 2mm flat
aluminum, and some JB Weld. First experience with JB Weld and I am very
impressed. Mixed it up and slopped the channel full, dropped the pedal parts
in, and covered the top with the 2mm flat. Let it cure for about a week,
filed off the excess and installed it in the piano. I'm pretty sure it's
about 100x stronger than original.

Only thing to watch for is that the opening in the front of the piano is
large enough to accomodate the pedal's larger stem, which it was in this
case. None of the aluminum is visible with the piano in its normal
configuration (i.e. knee panel on)

Paul Bruesch
Stillwater, MN



On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 4:39 PM, <wimblees at aol.com> wrote:

Chet

If they are broken, it's the cast iron stem that usually breaks. A welder
should be able to weld the stem back together. I have done that many times. 

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: Chet Kieffer <pianotuner at nedernet.net>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Mon, 11 May 2009 9:58 am
Subject: [pianotech] Gulbransen pedals

Does anyone out there have a set of Gulbransen spinet pedals circa 1948?
Please contact me off list. 
 





  _____  

We found the real 'Hotel California' and the 'Seinfeld' diner. What will you
find? Explore <http://www.whereitsat.com/?ncid=emlwenew00000001>
WhereItsAt.com. 

 

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