---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hello all (and Dale, who I've CC'd since he could be off list at present) A re-crowning exercise. A local colleague, David Kinney, is currently=20 rebuilding a B=F6sendorfer (late-ish model 200,=20 about 20 year old example I think). The sound=20 board was collapsed but otherwise without any=20 visible panel defects. As an exercise in sound=20 board re-crowning, he commissioned us to build=20 him a set of crowned sitka ribs for fitting in=20 between the originals. We made them 30 mm high in=20 the middle by 15 mm wide, so as to maximise the=20 added stiffness without adding too much weight to=20 the board. We made them only long enough to=20 match the un-feathered lengths of the adjacent=20 original ribs I understand that the result is very successful.=20 After doing the usual total internal refinish he=20 has reset the down bearing throughout, which=20 required a considerable packing height for most=20 string sections. He says that about 50% of the=20 unstrung downbearing angle sunk out once the=20 piano was pulled to pitch, which is about on par=20 with new factory boards. I haven't heard the=20 piano yet as he is still doing the action. It'll=20 be interesting to hear it once its up and running. Ron O. An excellent post Terry, At 8:16 AM -0500 16/3/05, Terry wrote: > >Oh I've got pretty thick skin. I actually saved=20 >that post - I felt like maybe it was a statement=20 >that I've finally arrived! I had never been=20 >accused of that before! I've never thought=20 >anything is below me, I still work on spinets -=20 >but there are definitely things that I am=20 >finding less satisfying (i.e. spinets and=20 >band-aiding-to-death old worn-out uprights). > >Regarding old upright, my thoughts are really=20 >less about patching up a soundboard and more=20 >about the general condition of the entire beast.=20 >What good is it going to do to improve a=20 >soundboard on one of these=20 >great-a-hundred-years-ago uprights when the=20 >hammers are nubs and don't all hit the right=20 >strings, all the action centers are loose, the=20 >bridge is cracked, the hammer butts are worn=20 >through, the pinblock is shot, the keys are all=20 >wiggley, action parts fly off while tuning,=20 >strings don't render worth a hoot, it's plagued=20 >with false beats, etc. The soundboard is the=20 >least of that piano's problems. Who cares if it=20 >has lost its crown? Replacing keytops and=20 >rebushing keys would likely do more to improve=20 >most old uprights than farting around with the=20 >soundboard - but even then, you still have all=20 >the other things. Sorry to say, but I often find=20 >myself recommending to old upright owners that=20 >they would be much better off finding a=20 >(cough-choke) "nice" 20-year-old Kimball console=20 >for $500 or $600 than trying to patch up the old=20 >upright. The quality old upright, IMHO, simply=20 >does not need $500 worth of band-aids, it needs=20 >$20K of remanufacturing. > >And as far as "I think Terry's statement was=20 >informative of his position on the subject, how=20 >else to express it?" goes - that cuts to the=20 >heart of the matter - how else to express it? I=20 >really think folks need to lighten up a bit.=20 >Folks state opinions on this list. They share=20 >the approach they take to address various=20 >situations. It doesn't mean they are saying that=20 >any other approach is bad. We just had a thread=20 >about action center cloth - some like the Renner=20 >pre-glued stuff - someone posted that the plain=20 >cloth works well. Is that guy stupid because he=20 >doesn't use the same cloth as me? I don't think=20 >so. Do I think it is ridiculous to take the time=20 >to put two dabs of glue on the cloth for each=20 >flange? Well, actually I do think it's=20 >ridiculous - but that's just me - at the same=20 >time, I also know that guy may even do it that=20 >way and still be faster than me and his bushings=20 >are great. Nothing wrong with ten techs doing=20 >something ten different ways. I guess that's=20 >what I'm trying to say here - when you read=20 >someone's statement about how they do something=20 >or what they would do or not do, just realize=20 >that most of the time that's all they are saying=20 >- a statement about what they do - they are not=20 >(usually) saying that you shouldn't do it some=20 >other way! > >As far as participating on this list goes - I'll=20 >have to get a whole lot smarter than I am now to=20 >ever get offended. When someone suggests that=20 >something I said was stupid or wrong or bad, I=20 >figure they are probably right (.....not!). So=20 >how could I get upset? I think I can understand=20 >how someone with a lot of knowledge and=20 >experience (obviously, not me) can get=20 >frustrated with people constantly suggesting=20 >that their whole approach to piano work is=20 >baseless. As one researches and experiments and=20 >observes over many years, they really can't=20 >avoid forming some pretty firm opinions on how=20 >things work and what works and what doesn't. And=20 >sure, they will tend to state maybe somewhat=20 >forcefully what their opinions are (and maybe=20 >even state it as fact - so what? - it is to them=20 >- hey, some people even make the bold statement=20 >that the theory of evolution is a fact!). But=20 >why some find the need to challenge these=20 >opinions, I don't know. If a response is to=20 >better understand the subject matter, that is=20 >one thing, but it seems it is sometimes to=20 >simply tell the other person they are wrong -=20 >and such an approach can only end up being=20 >divisive and argumentative. > >Enough gibberish for now. > >Terry Farrell -- OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY Grand Piano Manufacturers _______________________ Web http://overspianos.com.au mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au _______________________ ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/c9/1e/de/79/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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