Do Pianos Mature?

[Bill Ballard]

At 2:26 PM -0600 5/14/02, John Musselwhite wrote:
>I encourage comments as to whether I've drawn the correct 
>conclusions from it as to how this might affect pianos.
>
>Regards...
>                 John

I think you've raised very interesting point, the likelihood that the 
lightweight rims from across the pacific may be "re-forming under a 
load" in ways which doom them as pianos.

Certainly the Wood Handbook describes deformation as a function 
initial load and further of climatic fluctuations. Could we assume 
that wood from a tropical or temperate zone and placed in a hardy 
zone, suffer greater creep that if it had been sent back to its home 
climate, to bear its load.

It's a pity that these factories can't provide us with templates to 
locate index point around the piano. We could be sent out to gather 
"creep data", and develop a significant body of data on the creep of 
these pianos in N. America, as compared to in their domestic markets.

At 2:26 PM -0600 5/14/02, John Musselwhite wrote:
>It goes on to say that any structural members under stress, which I 
>would take to be the inner and outer rims, beams, bridges and 
>soundboards and even the wooden action parts, would be subject to 
>creep of some kind. According to the book, if the stresses are high 
>enough over time "creep rupture" or failure will eventually occur.

I've got a case of that in the action of a 1896 Krakauer 5'10" grand. 
The hammer shanks have just spintered at the bushing hole. You play, 
they fracture.  After 115 years, that's still a real nice board.

Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter, P.T.G.

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