[pianotech] Tight tuning pins

[David Stocker]

The material Baldwin used for pinblock material was designed for motor 
mounts in minesweepers for WWII. Impervious to water and heat. It is a fiber 
reinforced resin product, and therefore no longer resilient.

resilient [r?'z?l??nt]
adj
1. (Physics / General Physics) (of an object or material) capable of 
regaining its original shape or position after bending, stretching, 
compression, or other deformation; elastic

If we open the holes too far, It may not re-form tight enough to hold the 
pin well.

Ask Del Fandrich about it sometime if you want to hear a sad (and funny) 
story about Corporate America trouncing science and common sense. I'm hoping 
they won't force the Chinese factory to use the same misbegotten material.

David Stocker, RPT
Fir Tree Piano
Tumwater, WA

From: Porritt, David
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 06:42
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Tight tuning pins


Many years ago when I visited the Baldwin grand plant in Conway AR they used 
to take torque readings on the tuning pins and any that were too tight they 
would put a front rail punching on it.  A lower cost employee would then 
come and work the marked tuning pins flat and sharp a quarter turn or so 
back-and-forth to loosen it up.  That was SOP at that time.  This was +/- 30 
years ago, pre-Gibson, pre-bankruptcy when they were doing fairly well.

dp

David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf 
Of Greg Newell
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:16 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Tight tuning pins

I wonder if backing them out will create more heat which would make the 
resorcinol gummy. Depending on how long you wait (seconds, minutes, hours) 
to put the pins back in and whether or not the pins are already contaminated 
with the same resorcinol you might recreate the same problem. Just a 
thought.

Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
www.gregspianoforte.com
216-226-3791 (office)
216-470-8634 (mobile)
http://www.wealthyaffiliate.com?a_aid=NNaYfMKd

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf 
Of Randy Rush
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 1:14 AM
To: pianotech post
Subject: [pianotech] Tight tuning pins

Regarding the recent discussion about dealing with tight tuning pins when a 
piano has been restrung with oversize pins, can anyone speak to the efficacy 
of backing out the pins with a drill and then pounding them back in on an 
original condition Baldwin grand from the 80's with that stupid 
Resorcinol-laden pinblock?  (Same problem, pins very tight and jumpy, lots 
of cracking noises.)  I'm thinking this technique is at least worth a try on 
one that I have that is a particular problem.

Randy Rush

Seattle