Drilled Through Pin Blocks - Was Tuning Pin Length

[Kdivad@AOL.COM]

In a message dated Thu, 29 Aug 2002 11:03:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, joegarrett@earthlink.net writes:

> 
> 
> Yes, I was talking about Grand pin blocks. Some of you who haven't even
> taken a piano COMPLETELY apart are casting dispersions. I think that's being
> rather granular.
> The main point I was trying to make was that SEALING the entire pin block
> should improve it's ability to repel wild humidity changes and last longer.
> As for Uprights "not being drilled all the way through", is utterly stupid.
> No they are not drilled all the way through, (although there are some that
> are), the point is that they are not finished in any way and are therefore
> more susceptible to drawing and letting off moisture more 
> rapidly = failure
> of the wood.
> Sheesh!
> Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> 
> Been There, Didn't Like It, So I'm Here To Stay! [G}

Joe, I hope you didn't think I was casting dispersions, I agree with you that sealing the pinblock may have some affect on the longevity.  What I didn't understand was how you came to the conclusion that because 99% of the pinblocks you replaced were drilled through that may have been a failure cause, being that 99% of all pianos are drilled through.

I am also not sure of the correlation between uprights not being sealed, therefore the failure rate.  It seems to me that using your theory of not drilling the pinblock through, coupled with the fact that most upright pinblocks are at least encased (not sealed) except the face, we would have less failure rate than grands, which 99% of the time are not sealed and are more exposed to the elements. In my own experience (I have taken hundreds of pianos apart) I have not necessarily found this to be true.

David Koelzer
Vintage Pianos
DFW