[pianotech] Broken plate

Thu Apr 16 22:45:34 PDT 2009

I think the wood stove 6 feet away, would have been a contributing factor.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Allan 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 11:57 PM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] Broken plate

  I did check everything I could before starting to tune. No sign of anything wrong, no separation of the pinblock, tuning went perfectly normal. The piano had been in her mother's basement since my client was 5. Now it was (it is?) in her own basement with the wood stove 6 feet away. Had not been tuned for 20 years.

  Do old strings get dry? Does cast iron get tired? Do glass in a stain glass window ooze down, each piece getting thicker at the bottom with time?

  Allan Sutton

  www.pianotechniquemontreal.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fenton Murray
  Sent: 16 avril 2009 12:03
  To: pianotech at ptg.org
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] Broken plate

  I've had this happen once on an old upright, again with a 1/2 step pitch raise. The client called the next day said the piano was way out of tune. \

  On my call back the top couple octave were way flat and I found the fresh break in the strut.

  The clients said they had heard a terrible crack in the middle of the night.

  One time in thousands of tunings, but it happens.

  Fenton

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: John Ross 

    To: pianotech at ptg.org 

    Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 12:18 AM

    Subject: Re: [pianotech] Broken plate

    Looking back, could you tell us any indicators, that you might have noticed, to indicate this problem.

    It happened to me, back in the 70's.

    I was able to pass indicators on to other techs, who said it saved them from a similar situation.

    Any time I notice a piano being a way down in pitch, I will do the following, to check for pinblock separation.

    Check the rear of the lid, and make sure that the joints on the wood are lined up, and tight.

    Check the top of the plates relationship to the top cover of wood, and make sure the relationship is even.

    Sometimes it necessitates the removal of the top cover, to confirm a separation, of the pinblock. The rear of the lid may have to be pried off, and sometimes there are screws below the rubber buttons.

    If there is a separation, I use 8" C clamps and close the gap, sometimes if the pitch were low enough, you do not even have to lower the pitch.

    I then remove the bolts/screws, one by one and drill a hole through the plate to the back, and insert a carriage bolt, head to the back. It imbeds itself in the wood, and looks neat from the rear.

    You could cut the bolts and use acorn nuts, to make the inside look good. 

    I used to use 1/2" bolts, but others on the list have indicated that 3/8" is adequate.

    You could use glue or epoxy in the joint.

    Now, on a Willis La Ronde, the top of the pinblock is visible, was there no separation?

    If there was no separation, then I don't know, what could have caused the mishap.

    So a check, it could save you from a disaster.

    You were very lucky you had an understanding customer,

    some customers are not so understanding.

    John Ross

    Windsor, Nova Scotia.

      ----- Original Message ----- 

      From: Ryan Sowers 

      To: pianotech at ptg.org 

      Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 12:43 AM

      Subject: Re: [pianotech] Broken plate

      Whew! Fortunately the client sounds extraordinarily understanding. Thank goodness for clients like that!! God bless 'em. 

      It hasn't happened to me yet, although I've heard the stories from some of the old timers. Sometimes they can break a while AFTER the tuning. 

      I guess there's a reason we don't usually hear about Willis La Ronde pianos! 

      We feel your pain.

      Hopefully you got the one broken plate of your career out of the way!

      On Wed, Apr 15, 2009 at 8:07 PM, Allan <allan at sutton.net> wrote:

      It happened to me today,

      This sound I will never forget.

      This was a very small piano, built in the 60's (Willis La Ronde)

      The lady stayed throughout most of the pitchraise (almost one semitone)
      telling me the stories of her childhood as child musician, very touching
      stories indeed that made the break so much more dramatic.

      I was done! 3 top notes left on this second pass. One string had broken
      earlier.

      We did not "really" cry. I sat on the floor for 10 minutes as she found
      positive angles to this happening. She will get a new, better piano.... we
      will not have to replace the broken string... some detachment must be in
      order...

      Allan Sutton
      www.pianotechniquemontreal.com

      -- 
      Ryan Sowers, RPT
      Puget Sound Chapter
      Olympia, WA
      www.pianova.net

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