plate warping in 1877 Steinway B?

[Paul Chick (EarthLink)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Shaffer" <ron1685@yahoo.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2002 10:53 PM
Subject: plate warping in 1877 Steinway B?


> If I clamp the front down tightly, the rear (tail) will
> raise about three inches (the new pinblock is exactly
> where the old one was). Is this normal? I was worried
> that bolting it down that much would stress the plate. Thanks.
>
Ron
Did you notice if the plate was touching around it's perimeter after you
removed the plate bolts?  I had a Baldwin grand plate rise almost 3" above
the sound board at the tail when unbolted.  Baldwin told me that it was
unlikely the plate warped after being installed (or from standing out of the
piano).  Evidently, when the "plate installer" discovered the warp, he
installed it anyway to see if it would work.  Baldwin told me to do the same
but start bolting the plate at the pin block, then work my way around to the
raised end.  The plate went in without any problems. That was 15 years ago
and the piano was manufactured in the 1930's.

Paul Chick