I am rebuilding a Starck grand, not a great piano, but the long treble/tenor bridge has myriad cracks and loose pins. In the past, I would take the pins out, squirt marine epoxy in there and hammer in the pins, wiping away the excess. This worked pretty well for bass bridges, but I am concerned about compromising the surface of the treble bridge with residue-affecting the tone, etc. A rebuilder in Chicago here once suggested damming off the entire bridge say with duct tape and literally submersing the entire affair in epoxy (I am using Abatron wood consolidant from Milwaukee). Assuming it doesn't all leak out around the tape-I should be able to peel off the somewhat pliable mass after say 24 hours, leaving the holes and fissures filled and sealed. It sounded like a good idea so I tried it on a bridge once only to find that I could not get it to lift off as a "sheet" like he has been able to. It stuck around the pins and was a mess-at least for me. My question to you, my hopefully indulgent reader, is: Have you heard of such a technique? It really sounds like the best way to go for me-but it is a one shot deal and I cannot afford to mess it up. Should I spray a release on the bridge such as teflon? Are there any tips on how to build the dam? What can I do to maximise my chances of success in this area? Any thoughts you or your colleagues may have on this would be greatly appreciated. The alternative is to take out 360 odd bridge pins and put em back in with dubious results. Usually the epoxy finds some subterranean cavity to fill and retreats from the bridge surface before it hardens. This approach would solve it handily. Just lift off the sheet next day. I just don't want to ruin the job and last time I tried it, it didn't work. Again, thank-you for any input you may have. Yours Truly, Sam Grossner APT vince mrykalo rpt mpt ba byu ut ha ha To be is to do.-Socrates To do is to be.-Sartre Do be do be do-Sinatra ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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