fixing plate flange/block gap

[Robert Goodale]

Larry J. Messerly wrote:

> Found also that there is a gap running almost the length of the plate
> flange that I can stick a business card single or folded into.
> 
> Suggestions on repairs would be much appreciated.,  Wedges, MarineTex,
> West System epoxy???

I've come across two extreme examples of this, one of which was a piano
of Asian ancestry in which a dealer didn't want to bother with. The
other was on a Steinway "S" which had been rebuilt. This might sound a
little extreme, but worked very well.

You will need to flip the piano upside down. Obviously this will require
some helpers and the action will need to be removed. If possible do this
on some nice padded heavy saw horses. If you use three or four well
built ones it should be enough to hold the weight of the piano
reliably.  What you will be doing here is filling the gap with epoxy but
there are two very critical points before hand. The first one is that
you will need to apply masking tape to each end of the plate so that the
epoxy will not run out the ends. The second is that you will have to
pre-treat the gap with a little fast curing epoxy. I use the West System
#G5, (PianoTek). This is important because it will cure in about 10
minutes and seal the bottom of the gap. You will not be using very much
here, just enough to cover the bottom since this type of epoxy doesn't
have much strength.  If this step omitted you seriously risk the
stronger long-cure epoxy to leak past the block and down through the
plate webing. Once the fast-cure epoxy has hardened you may fill the gap
with the good stuff. I use the West Syetem 105 with the 206 hardener,
(PianoTek). You may need to apply the epoxy a second time to completely
fill it up. As you had suggested, a few wedges inserted might not be a
bad idea as well. This method seemed to work well for me, perhaps you
will have luck with it.

Rob Goodale, RPT