You might want to make sure Ron Overs sees that in case he wants to add it too his action design...sort of an Overs and Under repair...;-] Actually, not a bad theme...Overs DownUnder Inc. David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net> To: Pianotech <Pianotech at ptg.org> Received: 9/1/2006 1:30:13 PM Subject: class rebuild work >I tuned a 6 1/2' Chickering today. It had been patched up at >some time in the distant past, with new strings, pinblock, and >hammers. Original dampers, and otherwise original action. A >total basket case now, board shot and action worn clear out. I >pulled the action at one point to clear rubbing adjacent >hammers and found what's almost shown in the alleged photo. >Sorry, my phone camera isn't exactly state of the art, nor is >the operator. The finest set of resonating shank patches I've >ever seen, with a hammer hanging job to match. The brass >sleeved shank was the one that was the problem. The shank >pieces were square cut and butted together inside the brass >sleeve without benefit of glue to keep the hammer pointing in >the right direction. The keys were numbered from 1 at C-8, to >88 at A-0, which I thought was fun. She said they got the >piano so she and the kids could learn to play on it. I told >her to be ready, because the piano is DOA, and the kids will >start pointing that out far sooner than she would like. So >start getting used to the idea of either rebuilding this one, >which could make a terrific piano, or replacing it with >something newer. I suppose we'll see. >My last one was a Baldwin the movers had dropped off the ramp >(she watched it happen), and broke off both front legs. "We'll >fix it", they said, and spirited it away to the elves workshop >where they applied some unidentified glue, and stuck the >broken ends back together. There - fixed! The two broken legs >I looked at indicated that they weren't, in fact, all that >fixed, so I made her an estimate to submit to the moving >company for somewhat more extensive repairs. They had moved >with this company twice before with no problems at all, so she >was pretty sure they would be cooperative in getting this over >with. So again, I suppose we'll see. Sorry, no poor quality >pictures of that one. >Tomorrow, I go look at a Story & Clark grand in an estate sale >for someone before I get to go out in the shop and start >priming a plate. Man, the fun just never ends! Makes me wonder >what all those poor souls out there with "real" jobs do for >entertainment. <G> >Ron N
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC