This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I agree about the mix mistake, but won't it cure eventually, just take longer? It's happened to me and it just took an extra day or a few more hours. Seemed rock hard after that. Redoing any of that would be a nightmare. I use Epotech for some non-removable pinblocks, water thin. Very good stuff. Lance Lafargue, RPT Mandeville, LA New Orleans Chapter, PTG lancelafargue@bellsouth.net -----Original Message----- From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf Of Farrell Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 7:09 AM To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: S and S K52 "Epotec 301 epoxy to all the pins..... After overnight cure, The surface seemed a bit tacky..." I have not used Epotec yet, but have used West System extensively. I would be concerned about any epoxy mixture that did not cure overnight (so that it is not tacky). This may indicate an improperly mixed batch of epoxy (don't ask how I know, but one can mix improper resin/hardener ratios, and/or not mix the batch thoroughly enough, leaving some resin hardener-starved). Do you have a left-over glob on a mixing board? I always am sure to save a little glob (at least) on my spreader/mixer or something to see that I did not make any mistakes with mixing the hardener & resin, i.e., I make sure my glob got hard overnight so that I know my repair has a good batch of epoxy in it. Once or twice over the years I have made boo-boos, but at least I became aware of it before the work went out the door (time to clean and re-do!). P.S. HA! I'll have to try this Epotec stuff. My spell checker thinks it is "Erotic"! Terry Farrell Piano Tuning & Service Tampa, Florida mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Meyer Carl To: pianotech@ptg.org Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 2:02 AM Subject: S and S K52 List: I'm presently working on a 1909 S&S K52. It was professionally refinished. I've so far replaced the keytops, rescaled with PSCALE, and restrung using wound strings on the first 5 notes above the bass break. Prior to stringing I lowered the plate w/o removing it by using a saber saw to take the thickness or height of the dowels down by one saw kerf. As the screws rose toward the treble side I used progressively thinner blades (some by hand for accessability). Along the bottom I used more than one kerf as required to get the downbearing I wanted. I found I had to remove most of the screws completely and lube with bees wax in order to pull them down. Rust and corrosion made them just too tight to move. This worked rather well. I cleaned the bridge by clamping a brass brush to the blade of an electric carving knife. The brass brush was about the size of a toothbrush. Then by sections I warmed the bridge with a hair drier and applied Epotec 301 epoxy to all the pins. I then rewarmed with the hair drier to help penetration of the epoxy. Since that is slow setting stuff, I waited awhile and then removed the excess by brushing the whole bridge with a dry paint brush, wiping the brush often. I ended up with a nice looking bridge with a coating of epoxy on it. Might not look good enough for a grand, but looks okay. After overnight cure, The surface seemed a bit tacky, so I sprinkled talc on it and brushed it in and then blew off the excess with my air hose. That worked pretty good considering it didn't take long at all except for the cure time. So now, I'm starting to regulate and replace the dampers. Hammers are decent but not original. I now have several questions, since I'm not one who (only works on Steinways), actually seldom do. In the piano action handbook it calls for .4 inches dip. I see specs that vary for dip and I've thought that since the dip is the first interface between the performer and the instrument it would seem that uniform dip from piano to piano would be desirable. In most cases regulation can compensate for different dips, so a uniform dip could be used. I'm not a player so perhaps I don't have a feel for this. Anybody have any strong opinions on this? How sacred is following the manufacturing specs regarding dip? I found that repetition was poor in the high treble. I found action centers were a bit tight especially the jack. After water and alky, protec and the zapper, it repeats better, but key 88 has a chunk of lead in it and the dowel capstan pushes up about14 grams. Now the weight of the whippen is not much more than that, so if there is some lost motion then the whippen may not even push the key down beyond the lost motion and that will produce a key leveling problem. Question: What is the criteria for jack tightness? A gram gauge at the end of the jack should read no more that what? Question: Should I remove lead to get better repetion and have better up weight and down weight? Or am I missing something? Last question: The dampers of S&S uprights as well as Mason and Hamlin are very different than most uprights. The felt between the block and the popsicle stick is much thicker than standard supply house dampers. They have the popsicle sticks in the center section as well. What do you do to replace those? Steinway has a set of dampers in their price list for 121 dollars, and I don't even know what they consist of. Anybody use them, or do you just adapt standard dampers? Comments anybody? Thanks in advance!!! Carl Meyer ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/7f/37/36/51/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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