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<DIV><SPAN class=890363614-19072006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>At the
beginning of this thread I was concerned about an Estonia with tilted agraffes
and uneven agraffe/string holes. It was to the point that I couldn't bend
a string enough to compensate for good string/hammer mating. I have seen this on
other pianos, but not this much. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=890363614-19072006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=890363614-19072006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>It
would be interesting to know who makes agraffes and are the plate makers aware
of the importance of a level plane (duh, probably). With the increase in
our world-wide market for parts now, I wonder who makes them.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=890363614-19072006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=890363614-19072006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
bottom line is that you cannot prep a piano to a high level without this to lay
a foundation on. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoAutoSig align=left>Lance Lafargue, RPT<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face=Benguiat>LAFARGUE PIANOS, LTD<SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Bradley Hand ITC'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig>New Orleans Chapter, PTG<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig>985.72P.IANO<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><o:p><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:lafargue@bellsouth.net">lafargue@bellsouth.net</A></FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><o:p><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.lpianos.com/">www.lpianos.com</A></FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><o:p><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.lafarguepianos.com/"></A></FONT></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><o:p></o:p> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
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<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Fred
Sturm<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:53 AM<BR><B>To:</B> College and
University Technicians<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] Agraff
levels<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>I don't know where Steinway buys agraffes, but they
now own Kelly Plate, and they have upgraded that facility to install a
computer controlled drilling process. The spacing of agraffes in new pianos is
MUCH better in the past two to three years. I suspect the square of the holes
(hence lack of cant of the agraffes) is much better, too - I haven't noticed
much trouble leveling strings on the few new instruments I have serviced. They
used to have Kelly drill their plates. Bad idea.
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-tab-span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre"></SPAN>All that said,
perfection of hole drilling in cast iron is iffy at best. The unevenness of
the material itself causes bits to chatter, at least in my experience. It's
not like drilling brass.<BR>
<DIV><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
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<DIV>Regards,</DIV>
<DIV>Fred Sturm</DIV>
<DIV>University of New Mexico</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">fssturm@unm.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR class=khtml-block-placeholder></DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Jul 17, 2006, at 8:04 PM, Willem Blees wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>It sounds like we're talking about two different issues. One is
the<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>level of the agraff itself, compared to the level of the of the
plate.<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>What you claiming is that the plane of the agraff holes are not
level<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>with the plate. Which could be caused by poor drilling, or that
the<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>counter sink of the agraff hole is not flat, which will cause
the<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>agraff to cant to one side when it is tightened.<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><BR></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>The other issue is the holes in the agraff, which is what I was<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>referrring to. Although there might be very minute differnces in
the<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>plane of the holes compared to the top of the agraff, I think the
holes<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>themselves are level.<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><BR></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>BTW, does Steinway make their own agraffs, or are they
outsourced?</FONT></P>
<P style="MIN-HEIGHT: 14px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px Helvetica"><BR></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>Wim<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>Willem Blees, RPT</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>Piano Tuner/Technician</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>School of Music</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>University of Alabama</FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="FONT: 12px Helvetica" face=Helvetica
size=3>Tuscaloosa, AL
USA</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>