[pianotech] Rebuilding tips

wimblees at aol.com wimblees at aol.com
Mon Jan 11 22:42:10 MST 2010



The first is the use of ¼”  rod stock as guides on which to lower the plate so as avoid scarring the inside of the rim. 
Use paint paddles, held in place with masking tape.  


Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT 
Piano Tuner/Technician
94-505 Kealakaa Str. 
Mililani, Oahu, HI  96789
808-349-2943 
www.Bleespiano.com
Author of: 
The Business of Piano Tuning 
available from Potter Press 
www.pianotuning.com



-----Original Message-----
From: William Truitt <surfdog at metrocast.net>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Mon, Jan 11, 2010 5:21 pm
Subject: [pianotech] Rebuilding tips



To the rebuilders on the list:
 
I’ve come up with a couple of things in the last couple of rebuilds that I’d like to share with anyone who is interested.
 
The first is the use of ¼”  rod stock as guides on which to lower the plate so as avoid scarring the inside of the rim.  I’ve been using this drill rod stock for two rear locater pins through a 90 degree angle hole through the plate and about 2 inches down into the rim (which many rebuilders and manufacturers do).   All I did was cut a couple of pieces of stock about  9 inches long and tap them down into the rim.  About an inch of the rod sits above the top of the rim, so I lower the plate until it is just touching the top of the stock, center the pin through the two holes and then lower the plate into position.  The guides prevent the plate from touching the inside of the rim and scarring it, without the need to line to the inside of the rim with protective materials. 
 
The second is the use of a set of round shim stock that machinist use, which I purchased from a local machinist tool supply store.  They come in sizes from .061 to .250, graduating by .001 for the set, so a set of 190.  I use them to set downbearing.  My bearing settings are calculated, so if the numbers call for a .188 loaded value for a particular note (this value may also include the thickness of the aliquot, along with the calculated value for the bearing).   I just reach into the box and get the thickness I want, run the string through the agraffe and  over the bridge, and lower it onto the top of the shim.  Adjust bridge height as usual from there.  The round stock cost me $38.00, I could have gotten flat for about $85.00.  Cheap Chinese stuff, but plenty accurate for our usage.  No need for the nickels and dimes and pennies!
 
Will Truitt

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