[CAUT] Steinway rail re-doweling

[Tim Coates]

Hi Horace,

Thanks for information about the scales.  As I have not gone the route 
of buying new,  I thought it should be brought into the discussion.  I 
do know it has been done, but not sure how this tech does it.  This is 
a highly respected tech.  I don't think it is worth pursuing for the 
reasons you mentioned.  I was hoping someone who uses this method might 
speak up.

John was very concerned about shipping.  He sent a custom  made "Anvil" 
shipping case.  The shipping was quite expensive.  And yes it was a 
single rail.  The work was beautiful.   You know the solder joints have 
been checked.

After seeing Mark Cramer's directions and pictures I would suggest 
looking into replacing myself.    When Mark creates directions they are 
precise.   I have directions Mark gave me for another procedure to 
proof by doing for an extremely complicated type of installation.  
There was nothing to change in his directions.  I am sure the same 
holds true in re-doweling the rail directions.

Tim Coates


On Jul 12, 2006, at 12:28 AM, Horace Greeley wrote:

>
> Hi, Tim,
>
>
> At 06:16 PM 7/11/2006, you wrote:
>> When I had John re-dowel a rail it was about $600 when the shipping 
>> was figured in.
>
> Was this for a single rail?
>
>>  Later I was informed that a new complete action frame with holes 
>> drilled and let off buttons installed was about $260.  The person who 
>> informed me of this doesn't bother re-doweling because it is not cost 
>> effective.   The numbers may have changed as far as SS cost, but I 
>> think the math may still speak for itself.
>
> Yes...and...fwiw, having done this both ways a number of times, I 
> think that using a new stack from S&S may not always be the right 
> choice.  There have been many changes in the scales over time, and the 
> factory is not interested in doing anything that does not comport with 
> whatever the current specifications are.  I've been burned on this 
> with both Bs and Ds, and wound up redoweling or drilling new blank 
> rails for myself so as to get an accurate scale.
>
> Dave P. mentioned a write-up on redoweling by Mark Cramer.  I cannot 
> find it at the moment, but seem to remember seeing (online?) fairly 
> recently.  Anyway, I thought that his procedure was very good, well 
> thought-out and easily replicated (with care/etc).  Also, while I do 
> not know how much of it ever got published in the journal, Chris 
> Robinson used to teach classes on action rail replacement that were 
> really first-rate.
>
> Best.
>
> Horace
>
>
>
>> Tim Coates
>>
>>
>> On Jul 11, 2006, at 11:37 AM, Alan McCoy wrote:
>>
>>> I'll echo what others have said about John Dewey. He replaced 
>>> several rails
>>> for me that had cracked out. Very nice work. He had a good display in
>>> Rochester.
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>
>>>
>>> -- Alan McCoy, RPT
>>> Eastern Washington University
>>> amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
>>> 509-359-4627
>>>
>>>
>>>> From: Rob & Helen Goodale <rrg at unlv.nevada.edu>
>>>> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" 
>>>> <caut at ptg.org>
>>>> Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 08:39:13 -0700
>>>> To: <caut at ptg.org>
>>>> Subject: [CAUT] Steinway rail re-doweling
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> Can someone tell me who does Steinway rail re-doweling?  I attended 
>>>> a class at
>>>> a convention a few years back with someone who does it but I can't 
>>>> remember
>>>> the name.  I know there are a few others out there who do it as 
>>>> well.  I have
>>>> a customer with a 1908 model "A" she is interested in rebuilding.
>>>> There
>>>> doesn't appear to be any stripped screw holes as of yet but with 
>>>> it's age I'm
>>>> sure it's ready to be re-done anyway as long is I'm doing 
>>>> everything else.
>>>>
>>>> Anyone have an estimate of how much this costs?
>>>>
>>>> Rob Goodale, RPT
>>>> Las Vegas, NV
>>>
>