[CAUT] Fw: Steinway M plate removal

[Alan McCoy]

Hi Paul,

One thing that comes to mind is to pay attention to the plate when you do
remove plate lags and the nose bolt nuts. Is there a gap between the plate
and shoulder of the nose bolt? Is there a gap between the plate boss and
soundboard dowel? It's likely that the plate was originally flexed at one
place or the other. This will have some impact on your bearing
considerations.

Alan


-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
509-359-4627
509-999-9512


> From: Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:36:13 -0500
> To: <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: [CAUT] Fw: Steinway M plate removal
> 
> Hi CAUT!
> 
> As you can read below, besides the personal formalities.... What
> measurements to you perform on the plate before removal?  I haven't done
> this in a long time and just need some updates.  Im using the existing
> pinblock.  Is that enough?  Also, the front bearing is great on the bridge
> but the back is not so good.  It's a practice room grand.  Should I bother
> with re-capping? or can I lower, slightly the resting dowels to ever so
> slightly "bend " the plate in the back for more downbearing?  It sounded
> pretty good before, but the capo and bass strings had so many problems
> with string breakage, that I've decided to restring and attend to the capo
> and replace agraffes while I'm at it.
> 
> All Thoughts welcome.  I'm not going to do anything until I find my
> digital for pics.  It's way ugly and want to take before and after shots.
> BTW, wish Robert congrats for his new baby boy.  (#8!!!)  crazy man!!!
> 
> Best,
> 
> Paul
> 
> 
> ----- Forwarded by Paul T Williams/Music/UNL/UNEBR on 08/22/2008 05:26 PM
> -----
> 
> "Robert A. Murphy" <Robert.Murphy at oberlin.edu>
> 08/22/2008 03:04 PM
> 
> To
> Paul T Williams <pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu>
> cc
> 
> Subject
> Re: Steinway M plate removal
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Paul,
> 
> You might run this by the CAUT list.  I'll write to you what we do
> after we've unpacked our moving boxes... as we finally moved the entire
> clan to Oberlin this week!  All best on the new school year at
> Nebraska.
> 
> Best,
> Robert
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------------
> Robert A. Murphy
> Piano Technician & Curator of Fortepianos
> Oberlin Conservatory of Music
> cell:    517.285.3269
> shop:  440.775.8275
> 
> 
> On Aug 20, 2008, at 03:33 PM, Paul T Williams wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Hi Robert!
>> 
>> How's life in Oberlin?  Have you settled in your new home and family
>> additions going well?  How's Charlie?
>> 
>> Say I have a question on plate removal.
>> 
>> It's been many many years since I pulled a plate and I'm doing an
>> in-house rebuild on a 1926 Steinway M.  If you could, please remind me
>> what to measure before I start taking screws out, etc.  I've de-strung
>> it now and ordered my bass strings from Arledge.  I think, as we did
>> in the Steinway seminar, ordering hammers/shanks/flanges all pre hung
>> from Steinway.
>> 
>> I'm also going to refinish the plate as it's original and UGLY.  What
>> have you used for prepping the plate before refinishing?
>> 
>> This is going to be an interesting piano.  Right now it's a kind of
>> yucky greenish walnut and is by far the ugliest piano we have.  I
>> should have shown it to you when you were here.
>> Instead of paying $1,000/foot to refinish it and since it's only a
>> practice room, I'm going to paint it Husker Red with a glossy black
>> plate!! I might even put a big white N on the lid. I'll post some pics
>> to you after my wife teaches me how to do it!  I'll take before pics
>> tomorrow so you can see the ugliness.
>> 
>> Enough rambling.  Please send any hints along for the plate removal.
>> 
>> Thanks
>> 
>> Paul T. Williams RPT
>>  Piano Technician
>> School of Music
>> 5 Westbrook Bldg.
>> University of Nebraska
>> Lincoln, NE 68588-0100
>> pwilliams4 at unl.edu