Warren, In this case I would repair it as best possible without destringing and tune it flat. Also leave a message near the tuning pins for future tuners to be aware of the piano's condition. I had a 9' plate repair, cracked on the two vertical struts in treble on the tuning pin side. A knowledgeable welder recommended a key to lock the struts. He drilled a hole thru the crack (commenting on the softenss in the center) and threaded a self-tapping steel bolt. Then he used a die grinder to trim the bolt flush. It has been maintaining pitch for over ten years. Jon Page Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ At 09:00 PM 11/1/97 -0800, you wrote: >My customer came in today, looked at the crack, which is all the way >through the hitch pin area between two struts, and said "Wow! That's big >isn't it? I thought it was just a little crack in the wood or something!" Jon Page Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
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