Loose tuning pins on a Samick

[JAMES DALLY]

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Hello:  What do you mean by hammers uncrossed?  thanks  Jim Dally
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Andrew & Rebeca Anderson=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 10:54 PM
  Subject: Re: Loose tuning pins on a Samick


  Daniel,
  I'm all for Dampp-Chasers on pianos but if the bass tuning pins are =
already that loose I'd say the damage is already done.  I've installed =
DCs and had loose tuning pins firm up and crossed (not quite) hammers =
uncross in an upright.  If the grand piano were covered with a DC you =
would get more benefit.  There usually isn't a direct opening from under =
the soundboard into the action area for direct exposure.  Humidity will =
cycle through the wood environment and it will get better than it was.  =
Undoing the damage is another issue.  Preventing further damage would be =
the reason for an install.  That would have to be balanced against the =
current value of the piano and the cost to repair it.  Something you and =
your customer are in a better position to discuss.
  CA glue is a quick and cheap way to fix loose tuning pins.  It =
generally is not the preferred method for decent to good grand pianos.  =
If you elect to do this, be sure to protect the action stack as CA glue =
can find its way down through the smallest of holes and do a number on =
it.  (Tape foil up to the pin-block from underneath if you can't leave =
the stack out for a day.)
  Others here can give you more experienced advise on plugging, drilling =
and re-pinning or going up two sizes in pins etc.

  Good luck,
  Andrew

  At 08:42 AM 3/17/2004 -0800, you wrote:


    I tuned this particular Samick grand for the first time the other =
day (5 foot 7 inch, model SG-172). Before I started, the customer said =
the last technician mentioned that some of the tuning pins were loose in =
one section, and that it wasn't holding a tuning well. One of the first =
things I noticed was how warm and dry the room felt. I asked the =
customer about this and she said this room was always the warmest in the =
house. The piano, by the way, is situated between two central air =
ceiling vents (about 2 or three feet from either end of the piano).

    So I went ahead and tuned the piano, figuring I would check the =
tightness of the pins as I went. Most of the pins were on the looser =
side but still held except three pins in the bass. I would pull them up =
to pitch, and they would fall flat as soon as I let go of the tuning =
hammer.=20

    I bought a hygrometer and placed it on the beam underneath the =
soundboard, intending to go back every day or two and measure temp and =
humidity, as well as checking to see how well the tuning holds in each =
section.

    Is this a common problem in Samicks, or could it just be lack of =
humidity?

    Will solving the humidity problem (by installing a Dampp-Chaser or =
putting a humidifier in the room) help tighten up the pins enough to =
cause the loose bass pins to hold?

    I'd prefer to install a Dampp-Chaser (my first installation), but I =
don't know if she wants to spend that much. How well would a humidifier =
work?

    I heard that replacing the strings might be the thing to do if =
repinning the block (if so, bass strings only or bass and treble?). Stan =
Kroeger (former Samick service manager) seemed to think using larger =
pins alone would solve the problem, but others say use epoxy. ???

    How much should I charge if I repin the block and replace the =
strings? (And I'm assuming flat fee.)=20

    Should the customer bother asking the local dealer where she bought =
it about whether Samick or the dealer itself would take care of the =
problem? The serial # is 8707327. According to the Pierce Piano Atlas, =
the piano is 16 or 17 years old (I think I did the math right). I failed =
to ask her about a warranty.

    I've been reading through postings on this same subject, and I hear =
so many different opinions on what to do about this type of problem. I'm =
not sure what to do.

    Any suggestions and help are greatly appreciated.=20

    Thanks

    Daniel Carlton

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