Unbelievable

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: Carman Gentile <cgpiano@webtv.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 02, 2000 11:05 PM
Subject: Unbelievable


> OK folks, hang on.. this one is TRUE!
>
>   Client called who has a 1906 Starr baby grand.
>
>   In 1995 she removed -all- the plate screws and nose bolt nuts with the
> sincere but mistaken belief that she could lift out the "harp" to clean
> the sound board.
>
>   That's what I said, she took out all 14 plate screws and all 7
> nosebolt nuts but gave up trying to lift out the plate.  Later all the
> the fasteners got _lost_. Remember, this was in 1995.
>
>   The piano has since been moved -three- times.
> That's right, this small grand with NO plate or nosebolt fasteners has
> managed to survive three moves.
>
>   So she called me a week ago to see if the parts can be replaced.  I
> said I can't make any promises and what she did was utterly unbelievable
> and unprecedented in my experience.
>
>   Today I took pictures and measurements needed to find replacement
> fasteners.  The plate is still intact; the pitch is 50 cents flat at A4.
>
>   I told her, _in writing_, that the plate could crack at any time.  But
> then again, maybe not.  This lady is now well aware of her poor
> judgement and knows her piano may not be savable.   We are pressing
> ahead anyway.
>
>   When (and if) this project is finished, I will be submitting an
> article to the Journal.
>
>  Stay tuned for follow-up.
>
> Carman Gentile RPT
> Redwood Chapter
>
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Actually, Carman, this is not quite as unbelievable as it seems.  Starr
never did build very large pianos, so I'm assuming this pianos is something
under 5' 6" (168 cm).  Few of these pianos were really 'designed' or
engineered.  That is, they were essentially copies of something else that
the builders saw and liked.  Or saw and thought they could make some money
on.  (Not much has changed over the decades...many pianos are still
'designed' this way.)  A plate would be measure and, if there was any doubt
about its strength a bit more iron would be thrown in.

Piano plates, especially those in very small pianos, are intended to support
the entire stress of the string load unless they are equipped with 'horns'
such as found in the Steinway, etc., plate designs.  These devices will
couple some of the string load to the belly bracing mechanism.  Otherwise,
all of the stress is held by the plate.  It's fastening to the rim only
serves to stabilize it.  In some cases it would even be possible to remove
the pinblock screws without causing catastrophic failure.  (No, I am not
recommending this -- just suggesting that in some cases it probably would be
a reversible procedure.)

Anyway, good luck to you and your fastidious client.  I sure hope that
soundboard got clean.

Del