[pianotech] String Replacement Emergency Question (well, kinda)

[Terry Farrell]

On Feb 11, 2011, at 1:13 PM, David Love wrote:

> If you don't need to bend it back much I'd leave it alone and not  
> worry
> about.  You can calculate the side bearing pressure on the pin by  
> figuring
> out the tension on the string (or approximating) and measuring the  
> angle
> that it offsets to the tuning pin.  My guess is that it's not the  
> much and
> the likelihood of shearing off the pin with the string is small.

Bent a fair bit. The strings really bend around the UTPs in the low  
bass, as some little verticals do. That compounds the problem. I have  
a tool box of drills and bits and pins and files, etc., etc. to go  
back there with. I'll look at the pin again and re-assess whether to  
try it as it (I think it is bent too much), or try to yank it. If  
worse comes to worse, I'll just have to drill an adjacent hole for a  
new pin. Not the end of the world. But certainly a cruddy start to a  
very unprofitable day!  :-(

Thanks.

Terry Farrell

> You can
> unwrap a few wraps of copper so that you can move the knot down  
> toward the
> speaking length to give you clearance up to the UTP.  Since the  
> strings
> sound crappy anyway you likely won't notice any difference with the  
> change
> in wrap length.
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf
> Of David Love
> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 10:08 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] String Replacement Emergency Question  
> (well, kinda)
>
> How much did you bend it? Such that you need to bend it back?  Or is  
> it
> where you can leave it?
>
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]  
> On Behalf
> Of Terry Farrell
> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 9:34 AM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: [pianotech] String Replacement Emergency Question (well,  
> kinda)
>
> Hi Folks.  I just got back to my shop after trying to replace a
> spliced bass string and have run into a problem.
>
> The piano is a 1950 good condition (relatively speaking) American
> console piano. Bass string broke (monocord) the other day while
> tuning. Strings are a little bit tubby, so I recommended splicing
> rather than replacement to maintain even tone. String broke right at
> the tuning pin. I spliced the 0.049" wire (ouch!) and made a nice neat
> little (well, no so little because I could only pull so hard on the
> darn thing - couldn't tighten it up much) knot. I made the knot as
> close to the end of the broken string as possible. Unfortunately, the
> string has it's tuning pin fairly close to the upper speaking length
> termination (what the heck do you call the little steel pin (looks
> like a small hitch pin) on that ridge on uprights that the strings
> bend around and form the upper speaking length termination? I'll refer
> to it as the upper termination pin (UTP)).
>
> So I go to the home this morning and attempt to install the spliced
> string. Put everything in place and find that the knot won't quite
> pull past the UTP (I thought it would once I get a little tension on
> the string). Tap it a bit, won't go. I tried twisting the string for
> exposure of a more favorable part of the knot to the UTP - still won't
> pull past the UTP. Maybe a little more tension - nope, won't go - knot
> still hung up on UTP.
>
> Okay, so plan now is to remove some windings and make a knot a
> centimeter or so lower into the speaking portion of the string. I know
> it may affect string tone - I figure I'll just try it and see how it
> sounds.
>
> That's not the problem. The problem is that I have now bent the UTP. I
> think it is bent enough that whether I put a re-spliced string on the
> piano or a new string, that the pin may fail - and even if it doesn't
> fail, it may bend a little more and not retain the string.
>
> Seems to me I have two options: Cross my fingers and go for it and see
> what happens. Problem with that is that the UTP may break, and if it
> does, it will likely break right at the plate surface - that will make
> it nearly impossible to remove. The other option is to attempt to
> remove it while I have something to grab onto and try to pull it out
> (while again, crossing my fingers). If it pulls out, then all I need
> to do is find a similar size (or a bit larger) steel pin and replace.
>
> I'm looking for recommendations. I keep telling myself to keep my
> camera with me. Maybe this will convince me to do so. Sorry, but no
> picture. I've chopped off many a hitch pin, but not UTPs. Are they
> just tapped in and I should be able to simply pull one out?
>
> I realize that I can drill a hole immediately adjacent to the original
> pin (if it were to break) and install a new one. But that will move
> the string way over and then I'll have a poorly aligned hammer (I
> guess not that big a deal) and I'll have to fart around with the
> damper. I'd rather utilize the original UTP hole. Probably would have
> been smart of me to have measured the diameter of the UTPs in the
> piano. I guess I'll have to bring a few sizes of drill bits and steel
> pins with me when I go back (ASAP - in an hour or so).
>
> I wonder how many hours it's gonna take me to replace one string (at
> my standard string replacement fee). Crud.
>
> Glad I like to watch some very philosophical television shows. Because
> of that I am well aware that "worse things happen at sea!"
>
> Terry Farrell
>