M&H A scale and rim movement

[Richard Anderson]

Thanks for all the quick responses. Here's some additional information;
  the piano is here because there are 5/0 pins glued into a 10 year old
pinblock,
  the piano sounded remarkably good considering the previous work,
  it has the original board and bridges,
  the rear string rests are cast in mounds and do not appear to have been
altered,
  there was typical positive bearing and crown under tension,
  there is lots of crown unstrung, especially considering how the previous
shop repairs boards (there was length of hammer shank carefully wedged
between the bottom of a plate strut and the top of the soundboard near the
bottom end of the treble bridge),
  the plate wasn't lowered (as is typical for that shop),
  this plate does not have a strut across the tenor and bass over the
hammerline (like a continuation of the capo bar), so here's some of the flex
Newton was talking about.

I measured board movement using a dial indicator mounted underneath on a rim
strut with the foot on a middle rim under the bridge line. Boards typically
move up and down while unstringing, but have always ended up once all the
strings are off (unless the board has oil canned, not the case with this
piano).

The plate is in its original, and what appears to be correct, position as
per Newton's post. I can see how the plate flexed enough to move the horn in
1/16" because the block was not glued to the stretcher. Here's what I'm
wondering.

Did the previous shop loose the original wedge or install this wedge
sideways? The wedge is rectangular in cross section and fits quite well if
you turn it sideways (long dimension between horn and belly button), but the
marks on the wedge indicate it was installed correctly.

If this is the original wedge, was the gap originally this big or did the
belly rail or belly button move?

Although the plate withstood that much flex under tension, is 1/16" too
much, or what the maker intended for what ever reason?

At this point I'm thinking unless I find any unusual structural problems
I'll leave the plate where it is and make a new wedge. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Richard Anderson
Elgin, IL