broken plate

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Greetings,  
      << My student, Paul, just had a rebuilder do the soundboard, plate, 
pinblock
stuff.  Paul did the action work and the break happened when he was
chipping/tuning it.   Either it just happened or the plate was installed
incorrectly.>>

   I would not think it "just happened".  It takes a lot of stress to break a 
plate.  
 
>>I just wonder what experiences some of you have had with
this.  Do S&S B's break plates often?  (I've been tuning twenty years and
this is a first for me) <<

     Me too,  I have never seen a B plate break before.
>>Should the rebuilder take responsibility? <<

    Since an improperly fitted pinblock can stress a plate very strongly,  I 
would want an independant autopsy of the fit between the pinblock, front 
stretcher, and the plate.  
     It is just as important, (maybe more so), that the block fit snugly 
against the underside of the webbing, lest all those screws flex the plate 
near enough to its breaking point so that the added strain via the agraffes 
will finish it off.  With the tension off and screws released, it should be 
possible to make some diagnosis of how well the block and plate were fitted.  
If the block was dowelled to the stretcher improperly, that will preload the 
plate also.  The rebuilder may have done a very nice job of the fit and if 
so, should be absolved. 
  Also, there are new factory plates available for the B models, I think. 
Call them. 
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT. 

      








 What about the customer?  >>