[pianotech] Slipping Becket

[David Skolnik]

2 options come to mind.
1) make a video of yourself doing this the next time you have a 
chance.  In the future, when the urge arises, watch the video.
1a) Post video on Youtube.  You'll make tons of $ and never have to work again
2) Pick up a small (5' or under) grand to keep in your shop.  Have 
someone else string it in extended-becket style.  It's there for you 
when the mood strikes, like a single-day dosage.

Ron - you're uncharacteristic indiscretion can certainly be 
overlooked, unless you decide to run for office.  Any office.

David Skolnik


At 11:27 AM 1/27/2012, you wrote:
>That's definitely worthy, Ron.  However, I really enjoy the 110 plus cursing
>and gnashing of teeth struggles with the becket breaker muckled onto the
>tuning pin when I destring a piano.  What can I do to replace this addictive
>act of self-abuse so that I don't get bored?
>
>Will Truitt
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
>Of Ron Nossaman
>Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 11:01 AM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Slipping Becket
>
>On 1/27/2012 9:11 AM, David Love wrote:
>
> > There is clearly something about the pin which is causing this to
> > happen but I'm not sure exactly what that is.  Thoughts?
>
>There was a discussion about this sometime last year, buried among the HL
>bitch posts. A sharper bend at the becket *might* work, but I guarantee that
>a longer becket bent over to prevent it's being pulled back into the pin
>will lock it in.
>
>I know, HORRORS!!!! But it's one pin, and immediately fixes the symptoms
>without unduly disturbing anything else. It's a pain to remove later. So
>what? It's ONE PIN. In futile hope of heading off the multiple lectures
>someone is almost sure to deliver on the unprofessionalism of stringing a
>piano this way, no, I don't recommend that. This, however, is a matter of
>expedient practicality.
>
>Since someone else out there is certain to actually string entire pianos
>that way, like the piano I have in the shop at the moment, I have a further
>recommendation.
>
>Faced with a double bend locked in becket on every single 4/0 pin in this
>piano, I dug out an old becket breaker and fired up the bench grinder. One
>of the problem with becket breakers is that if any of the becket protrudes
>from the far side from the primary bend, the breaker will jam on it and
>precipitate 200+ life and death struggles in the course of destringing. The
>pictured modification largely prevents that.
>Normally, I just let the tension down, pry the becket out with an awl and
>lever the coil off the top of the pin, and cut the strings at the agraffe or
>capo, then pull the plate with the pins still in the block.
>In this case, I found it easier to cut the beckets at the primary bend with
>the modified tool, and pull the pins out through the coils with my air
>impact driver.
>
>For what it's worth,
>Ron N