Aaaaarrrrrgh, Part Deux

[Dean May]

Superciliousness. I like it. 

 

And amen.

 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Alan Barnard
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 3:15 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Aaaaarrrrrgh, Part Deux

 

A recent post said: "... I wouldn't ruin a perfectly good block by using CA
as a stopgap method in a piano this new, I would recommend re-stringing with
oversize saving the church the cost of a new block. No it isn't the greatest
piano ever made but to ruin the block with CA because the tech has no
foresight is negligent!"

I mean nothing personal, here, but this is going to leave impressionable
newbie minds with a wrong, wrong picture. The belief that CA does harm to
the block is pure bullfeathers, twaddle, and poppycock and is, in mine umble
opinion, based on misinformation, lack of experience, or outright
superciliousness. CA in no way "ruins" a pinblock. If you want to restring
with larger pins, go for it: but it's a might expensive repair compared to 2
oz of CA. And if you start with the CA and later desire to put in larger
pins or whatever, the option is still there and the previous use of the
chemical will in no wise be a problem.

As to CA not working well in a dry climate, why would it not? It's not
"dope" that depends on pulling in ambient moisture, it is a permanent (or
seemingly) replacement of the missing wood fibres. You may have to generate
a little humidity around the piano while it cures.

And what's this nonsense about CA being a "stopgap method"? We now have
years of experience in a variety of climates and all kinds of pianos that is
wholly persuasive: CA is an effective, inexpensive, long-term fix. There are
occasional, anecdotal reports where it didn't work; in such cases, I suspect
delamination and/or cracking or really, totally shot blocks in the first
place.

Others! Feel free to share your thoughts. I'm reeeeeeaally not picking a
fight with the person I quote above, I just think these notions are flat
wrong and I don't want techs out there condemning otherwise perfectly(?)
good pianos or engaging in heroic, expensive efforts to save them--when an
hour with tilter and glue bottle can save the day, the piano, and the
customer.

I still feel bad about the woman who trashed her magnificent 1890 piano--one
of the most beautiful cases I have ever seen--because she wasn't enough of a
player and hadn't the money to "restore" the pinblock. Her husband chopped
it up and threw it away because I, little old ignorant me, told her the
block was shot and the repairs would cost such and such much. This was about
a month before I first heard of the CA fix. I think it's a miracle-cure,
frankly; akin to the discovery of penicillin!

Alan Barnard
Salem, MO

P.S. The "tech has no foresight" if he/she uses CA? What the h-e-double-l
does that mean?

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070926/26f7a297/attachment.html