Sohmer Grand

[John Ross]

Hi,
Has anyone tried a router upside down for this problem?
It would seem to me that a router could be put on an adjustable, with a bolt
in
each corner, jig.
Another choice, which although messy, would be a power file. I think that is
what
it is called. The one I have is made by Ryobi, and is a small belt sander.
Regards,
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada.

----- Original Message -----
From: <Wimblees@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 10:25 AM
Subject: Re: Sohmer Grand


> In a message dated 7/15/00 1:11:41 AM Central Daylight Time,
> tunemwell@rcn.com writes:
>
> << I was called in to check out some problems with this old Sohmer grand
>  23482 #11 (what's the #11?). According to Pierce, this is between 1895
>  and 1900. The piano was sold as a "rebuild" by a dealer. Amoung other
>  things it has a new pin block.
>     I don't remember having ever seen a piano with a treble bridge like
>  this. It has agraffes on the bridge for a cut off and no side bearing on
>  the bridge. The bass bridge is traditional (and nicely done). The other
>  oddity is that there are no glides on the keyframe.  Anyone with info or
>  experience with this please share.
>     The complaint was that the action was stuck in shift mode and that
>  hammers were hitting more than one note and needed aligning.
>     I unscrewed the endblocks - the action stayed shifted. I removed the
>  endblocks and keyslip and after a little help, it returned. When I began
>  to remove the action, I found it snug to the left side. After I got it
>  out I saw signs of the hammer flange screws hitting the bottom of the
>  new pinblock. Further, I found that the bass hammers were forced down so
>  much that they jammed tight on the hammer rest rail. I can't believe
>  none are broken.
>     So I've concluded that the pinblock really needs to be shaved down a
>  bit. Any thoughts? (I have quite a few myself already)
>     After cleaning the bed and keyframe and lighly sanding and freeing the
>  little wheel in the left endblock it's shifting nicely.
>         Swamped with work in Wmbg.......dan j
>   >>
>
>
> The agraffs on the bridge is nothing new. Sohmer made a bunch of these at
the
> turn of the century. I wouldn't try to do anything about it.
>
> The reason the pin block is pressing against the hammer screws is because
> whoever put in the new one, didn't take into consideration that the pin
block
> needs to be shimmed up from the inner rim. You can try to shave off the
> bottom of the pin block with file, or chisel, or electric grinder. I have
> only done the front edge, when I forgot to cut it for the fall board. But
I
> have never had to take off the whole bottom layer.
>
> It sound like a major problem. I would suggest you either walk away form
this
> one, or try to get the customer to have a new pin block installed.
>
> Willem