Accu-just HPs in Steinway D :(

[Ken Eschete]

Scott,
I can speak about the epoxy option.   Once epoxy is cured, it is an 
acrylic and is not suitable for gap filling under this kind of 
tension. Just like teflon, it is a cold flow material that will 
change shape. My vote would be for leaving everything the way it is, 
unless of course, it's causing a problem.

This may be one of those times when you just have to say "buy a new one".


Ken Eschete
Northwestern Univ.





>Hello folks,
>
>My summer rebuild project this year is the older of the two Steinway D's we
>have in our main recital hall. I'm really glad to be rebuilding it, but
>unfortunately it's had some nasty things done to it that will make it a
>tough project, one of them being the retrofitting of accu-adjust (Baldwin
>style) hitch pins. This, of course, means that the holes have been drilled
>out larger to accept the little spring steel posts. They did a sloppy job of
>it too. What a mess!
>
>My original plan was to send this piano off to Steinway for the belly work
>including a new plate, but we couldn't come up with the funds to do that.
>I'm rebuilding it here (I try to rebuild a piano or two a year in house
>anyway). A new plate is not an option, and yet, I would like to get it back
>to the original style HPs. Any ideas? Anyone done this successfully? I
>thought about silver solder, but I'm too worried about causing stress in the
>plate from uneven heat (silver solder requires a bunch of heat). I've
>thought about epoxy, but I'm just not sure how that will hold up over the
>long run. Lately I've been thinking about either some sort of sleeve or
>metal dowel epoxied into the oversized holes, but these would be a bit of a
>pain to drill out. What kind of material could I get in the right size that
>would also have the same basic metallurgy as the plate? I can't think of
>anything. So far, epoxy seems like the best approach if it would hold up
>ok....
>
>If I can't get it back I can always leave the accu-adjust pins in there, but
>who wants Steinwin? Actually, they also installed a M&H spider (tensioner).
>I think I can repair that mess fine, although it will be a bunch of
>woodwork. So I guess it's actually a Steinwin & Hamlin.
>
>Why do people do these things??
>
>Any advice on the HPs, especially from someone who has successfully dealt
>with this, would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>Scott
>-------
>Scott E. Thile, RPT
>Piano - Instrument Technician
>Manager, Lovett Auditorium
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-- 
Kenneth Eschete
Director of Keyboard Maintenance               Phone: 847/467-6970
Northwestern University School of Music	       FAX: 847/491-5260 
					    711 Elgin Rd.; Evanston, 
Il 60208

  EMAIL: k-eschete@northwestern.edu