followup to: Crack fillers - old soundboards

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Wallace,
Before you take a string off to add twist, try lowering the string a half
step and giving the note 10 strong test blows. When you bring the string
back up to pitch you might be pleasently supprised to find a much improved
sound. If this does not work add a twist or restring.
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett@earthlink.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 3:00 PM
Subject: Re: followup to: Crack fillers - old soundboards


> Wallace,
> IMHO the method you are proposing, is, for the most part, only going to
> affect the cosmetics. I would first try to "roll and twist" the bass
strings
> to see if the problem lies there. If the piano has iron wrap, instead of
> copper, the likelyhood is in the wrap and you will not realize much
> improvement, in sound, either way. If the piano has copper wound strings,
> then "livening" should produce some improvement. Unless you are going to
> wedge the sound board up, with leather covered wedges, and then inject
> epoxy, as you suggest, then you may realize some improvement in sound.
> regards,
> Joe Garrett
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Wallace Scherer" <p003520b@pb.seflin.org>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 12:00 PM
> Subject: followup to: Crack fillers - old soundboards
>
>
> > Hi again,
> >
> > Thought I'd follow up some of the excellent responses and elicit some
> > further advice after clarifying the issue.
> >
> > Based on what I have heard on the list and based on what the customer
> > seems to want and not want, here's what I have in mind doing now. Any
> > further advice or words of caution will be appreciated.
> >
> > 1. From underneath the piano I will place electrical tape over the 10 or
> > so cracks. I will also place some dropcloths on the floor in case the
tape
> > doesn't prevent all the drips.
> >
> > 2. Because of time/money/travel constraints, I will not try to pre-heat

> > the area or force the soundboard up with wedges.
> >
> > 3. From the top of the piano, with a syringe and needle I will squirt
> > some thin epoxy into the 10 cracks, being careful not to drip any on the
> > strings, which will remain in place.
> >
> > 4. After the epoxy dries, and the tape is removed, the soundboard MAY
(but
> > may not) have a slightly improved sound. (The bass section is all dead
> now.)
> >
> > Note: Removing the strings, inverting the piano, or removing the piano
> from
> > the house are not options. There is no buzzing - just a dead bass
> > section. Strings are in good shape.
> >
> > One further question: Has anyone who has used the epoxy crack filling
> > method on soundboards noticed any appreciable improvement in sound?
> >
> > Thanks again,
> >
> > Wally Scherer
> > Palm Beach County, Florida
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Send e-mail (TEXT ONLY!) to: <WallyTS@iname.com>
> > My personal web page: <http://www.geocities.com/vienna/2411>
> > My business web page: <http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/afinetune>
> >
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 15:55:25 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: Wallace Scherer <p003520b@pb.seflin.org>
> > To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > Subject: Crack fillers - old soundboards
> >
> > Has anyone out there tried any innovative approaches to sealing cracks
in
> > soundboards on old, cheap, baby grand pianos? I'm thinking about
> > something on the order of a medium thickness CA glue, or some other
> > liquid type of material that would fill in the crack.
> >
> > My customer has an old Winter baby grand with about 10 cracks in the
> > soundboard, but none are very wide, not even paper thickness. She
doesn't
> > want to spend much money
> > and is willing for me to experiment some. But I thought I'd better see
if
> > anyone else has experimented first.
> >
> > Wally Scherer
> > Palm Beach County, Florida
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Send e-mail (TEXT ONLY!) to: <WallyTS@iname.com>
> > My personal web page: <http://www.geocities.com/vienna/2411>
> > My business web page: <http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/afinetune>
> >
> >
> >
> >