plate gonna break?

[Joseph Alkana]

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David,
I think you've analyzed the situation pretty good. I would present the =
options to the customer and let the customer decide. Explain that no =
matter what you are going to be compensated for the time you spend =
trying to resolve his problem. None of us carry around the equipment =
needed to spot hidden cracks, so stop worrying about potential =
liability. Did any glue joints come apart around the lower soundboard =
area? Does the action function properly, or at least as good as it did =
before? Any obvious damper problems to alert you to pinblock coming =
loose?
Joseph Alkana  RPT
josephspiano@attbi.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Dave Nereson=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 10:44 PM
  Subject: plate gonna break?


      Tried to tune a 1964 Wurlitzer spinet today that I've tuned many =
times,
  but the treble just wouldn't hold.  Tuning pin torque was good -- not =
even
  marginally loose.   A4 was only a couple beats flat, so I did a pitch =
raise,
  overshooting by a beat or so.  Then started over to fine tune and the =
treble
  was still way flat.  So I pitch raised just the treble, then went back =
to
  fine tune and the treble was still way flat.  So I raised it again,
  overpulling more than usual. Still way flat. Raised it again. Still =
quite
  flat. In the middle of this 4th (!!) treble pitch raise, I remembered =
that
  the last time a piano behaved like this, a strut was giving way and =
the
  plate broke.  So now I'm getting nervous and looking for signs of the =
plate
  pulling away from the back, or the pinblock separating, and I'm =
inspecting
  the plate for any hairline cracks.  Nothing apparent.  But I'm afraid =
to go
  on.  The middle of the piano is staying in tune, but after 4 or 5 =
pitch
  raises in the treble, it's still not holding.  Again, pin torque is =
good.
      So I give up and tell the owner I'm having a hard time with it and =
leery
  of going on for fear something might be giving way.  He then informs =
me that
  a few days ago the washing machine overflowed, flooding that area of =
the
  house quite seriously.  But they started mopping up within 20 minutes, =
then
  called some outfit (plumbers?), who brought in a heavy duty commercial
  dehumidifier, which had been running now for three days (mainly to dry =
out
  the carpet, I guess).
      Well, OK, maybe that's why the weird behavior.  The last two times =
I
  tuned it were both in the summer, and this is winter, so it's normal =
that it
  would be somewhat flat, and the big dehumidifier should make it go =
even
  flatter.  But it should make the whole piano go flat, and by quite a =
bit,
  not just 2 beats.  And it shouldn't cause the treble section to not =
hold
  pitch even after 4 or 5 pitch raises.  I don't know what to do now.  =
I'm
  afraid to raise it any more.  I could just tune it to a lower pitch -- =
the
  owner doesn't absolutely need it at A 440.
      Is there any way to detect (besides X-ray) if there's a crack in =
the
  plate that's not visually apparent?  I tried tapping lightly around =
the
  plate with a small hammer, like brakemen on trains used to do to =
detect
  cracked wheels, but discovered of course that the plate doesn't ring =
like
  steel -- I knew that, but in wary, cautious, nervous moments, you try
  anything that might give you some information.
       We chose to wait a week or two until the house climate is back to
  normal, then see what the pitch of the piano does.  But what would you =
do?
  Go ahead and raise it and if it breaks, it breaks?  Tune it to a lower
  pitch?  Tell him the plate might be ready to crack and he should buy =
another
  piano?  Quit the business & leave town so you don't have to deal with =
it?
                                                                         =
    =20
   --David Nereson, RPT, Denver



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