[pianotech] S&S K(52) Restoration

[David Love]

I'm not arguing that the system doesn't work.  There's plenty of evidence
with people using the do it yourself method and I've done more than my share
this way.  The question is the trade off of cost versus time and the
benefit.  I don't see any advantage to having this method over the WN&G
system other than the possibility of cost and that's a question mark when I
figure out the time difference.  The WN&G system looks nicer and, in my
experience, has zero chance of slippage.  So if cost is not a real benefit
then why bother.  When I used this method, which I did on many occasions
until the WN&G system came out, I found that the time involved was greater.
Filling the holes, making sure they are drilled straight, ordering the
components and assembling take much longer than with the WN&G system which
involved no more than drilling out the existing holes.  I've also found with
the do it yourself method that the Allen wrench adjustment was much more
difficult to use due to the relatively small size of the Allen wrench that
fits the socket screws.  The WN&G system allows for a thicker diameter
T-wrench adjustment which means that you can have the receiving end secured
more snuggly without worrying about being able to turn it.  I found the
socket screws trickier to get right and in the end found epoxy fillers to be
unreliable in terms of how the threads cut into them.  The torque on those
socket screws I found to vary quite a bit and that was whether I did them or
someone else did.  

There seemed to be plenty of people advocating for the do it yourself method
so I thought it would be useful to think about the two methods side by side.
There is a real benefit to the WN&G system, in my view, both in terms of
appearance and function.  I can think of more reasons than not to spend that
extra $200 on the WN&G system.  That being said, I trust that people will
make up their own minds based on whatever criteria they choose.  

I guess we now both have a story we're sticking to.

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Encore Pianos
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 4:26 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] S&S K(52) Restoration

You have to fill the holes (I am assuming you are talking about the plate
bolt holes in the rim and not those in the plate) either way.  What I do is
run the socket set screw through the plate to the height desired, spin the
flange nut up to the bottom of the plate, run a little masking tape under
the bottom of the bolt to keep epoxy out of it,  spin the nut up out of the
way, slop some epoxy onto the threads, spin the nut down to the top of the
tape, then remove the tape.  You're there.  Not hard or long to do.  Ready
to install after the epoxy sets.   No problems, your mileage may vary, I'll
let Ron speak for himself as he's done tons more of these than I have.
Suffice it to say my conclusion is different than yours about the utility of
this method.

I use the WNG bolts also (they sure are purdy....), but I wouldn't say one
method is better than the other, properly applied.  

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

Will