Two Loose Pins

[Joe & Penny Goss]

----- Original Message -----
From: Joe & Penny Goss <imatunr@primenet.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 8:08 PM
Subject: Re: Two Loose Pins


> Hi John,
> You might consider the following if you do not want to use wood shims,
sand
> paper or any other method that requires the removal of the tuning tin etc.
> Using the thinnest CA and a fresh bottle for sure, treat both pins and
pull
> the string that is least accessable up to pitch and treat with
> a drop of accelarator. Next pull the other string up as quickly as you can
> and use the drop of activator on that pin.
> The reason for this is that in working with overly loose pins if you do
need
> to use another repair hopefully it will be the pin that you can get to
> easiest.
> Be prepaired to treat more than once as in moving the pin will cause the
pin
> torque to loosen.
> When the pin stands at pitch, treat a last time and add no activator!
> If you tune this piano again be prepaired to tap the pin to loosen it
prior
> to tuning
> Joe Goss
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Piesik, John (JPIESIK) <JPIESIK@arinc.com>
> To: Pianotech Post Msg (E-mail) <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 8:23 AM
> Subject: Two Loose Pins
>
>
> > This involves a 4 foot 8 inch, no-name grand PSO, 1920s vintage,
fair-poor
> > condition, nice refinishing job, crummy design.
> >
> > About half a dozen tuning pins are barely holding tension at A440, 2
pins
> > aren't holding at all, and the rest are marginally holding pitch.
> >
> > The 2 pins, right in the center of the keyboard, are the subject of this
> > email. The way the plate/block was drilled has these 2 worst offending
> pins
> > about 1/16 of an inch from each other! One of the pins string exits in a
> > serpentine fashion around the other pin, over its string at the bottom
of
> > the coil, around another pin, and finally on to the hitch pin at the
back
> of
> > the plate - absolutely unbelievable! Turning either of these 2 pins
> affects
> > the other! Needless to say, these are the 2 pins that won't hold pitch
(I
> > wonder if they ever did for any length of time). No room to drive them
> down,
> > either.
> >
> > I really don't want to mess with this PSO, but the poor lady paid $1.5K
> for
> > it (without having it inspected first, but she liked the finish), is
> having
> > a Christmas party on the 18th (and she calls for service only weeks
> before),
> > and, of course, her "aunt Elisa from Vienna who plays for the symphony"
> will
> > be there, and she wants the piano to be just right for the party!! She's
> > already out her $1500 purchase, $125 for my time during the first
service
> > call, and whatever my charge would be to go back (if I do). Note that
she
> > was desperate from the beginning, and still is.
> >
> > My question is: Is there *anything* I can (or should) do to get just the
2
> > worst offending tuning pins to hold for a week or two? That's all she
> wants.
> > Does super glue work on pins that aren't holding tension at all? Should
I
> > send her on to the yellow pages with my best wishes? I know I can't win
on
> > this one. I didn't discover that the thing was completely untunable
until
> > about two hours into the service call, after I'd made significant action
> > repairs - partly my fault for not finding out it was untunable before it
> was
> > too late. Should I send her a full or partial refund and write it off as
a
> > loss?
> >
> > Any suggestions??
> >
> > Very Appreciatively,
> >
> > John Piesik, RPT
> > Piesik's Piano Service
> > Oceanside, CA
> > (760) 726-4665
> > jpiesik@arinc.com
> >
> > P.S. Please respond directly to me as I'm not currently subscribed to
the
> > pianotech list. Thanks!
> >
>
>