Mother in Law of All Cutoff Bars

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phillip Ford" <fordpiano@earthlink.net>
To: <files@ptg.org>
Sent: August 27, 2003 7:53 PM
Subject: Mother in Law of All Cutoff Bars


>
> This design may offer some support for the belly rail, but because of
> the gap between the plate and the soundboard at the bellyrail, I don't
> know if it would be much.  However, this design does look like it may
> offer significant support for the cutoff bar.
>
> Phil Ford
>

Thanks for the pictures.

What were these builders trying to do? Were they each single handedly
trying to use up all of the iron in the whole of the Mesabi Range?

Have you any idea what that plate might weigh? I've been giving some
thought of late to the amount of iron in even the typical piano plate
(leave off something like this). Much of it is a total waste having no
structural or acoustical function whatsoever. Other than, I suppose, to
give the movers hernias and back problems. And keep the owners from doing
it themselves. And, if they are so brave as to try, to give them war
stories to tell to their friends forevermore--"why, it's the heaviest thing
we ever did see...it took sixteen grown men and three boys to move that
thing just up the one flight of stairs...man, it's got to weight at least
4,600 pounds...gives me a backache just to think about it...say, hand me
another beer, would you...."

Del