<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Gordon, that's great. I'm glad it = happened to you.</DIV> <DIV>Kevin.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black">From: <A title=gholley@hi-techhousing.com href="mailto:gholley@hi-techhousing.com">Gordon Holley</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">To: <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 = 11:24 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">Subject: Baldwin Corfam Butts = and Backchecks</DIV> <DIV> </DIV>List and Fellow Technicians I'll preface this with = ALWAYS BE ON YOUR TOES, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS IN ANOTHER ROOM = LISTENING. I tuned a Baldwin Hamilton Studio Console, 1982, this past Saturday = morning for a neighbor.  He had already told me that it hadn't been tuned = in some years and that there was also something wrong with it, some kind = of a clicking sound. I opened the top, took off the front, sat down and = played about 32 bars of "Over The Rainbow" softly and didn't take long to = determine it was muchly out of tune and I did hear the = clicking.  I had already told Bob that it very likely would need a pitch raise, = so I got my SAT III on and tuned and proceeded to make 6 checks on all = the "A's". A6 through A3 were about 39.5 cents flat and A3 through A0 = were about 59.5 cents flat.  All this time Bob, the owner, was = sitting in the living room and watching and listening; "Yes Bob, I'll need = to do a pitch raise", "that's fine, we'll be in the kitchen with our = daughter and son-in- law". I started tuning and still listening for the = clicking and trying to remember what I had read on the list about Baldwin actions.  The more I strained the brain cells, and continued = the pitch raise, the more I "stewed" about what "had I read, what was = the subject?". I continued on for about 15 minutes and was aware that = someone had walked into the livingroom and was standing a little behind me = listening and watching. I finally turned around and the = son-in-law steps up and hands me his business card and introduces himself, = "Hi Gordon, I'm Sam Eberwein, I used to work for Baldwin when this = piano was build and sold to Bob, but I left Baldwin and I now work for Steinway.  I'm District Manager for Northern Indiana and into = the Chicago area, mind if I sit down I want to show you something?". = ("Hell no, I'm going to learn something") He then asked if I was = familiar with Corfam?, "That's the product name I was trying to remember, Yes, I = remember now the discussions on the list about clicking noises and = Corfam". Then he proceeded to tell me about the use of Corfam on = the butts and back catchers, and after 12 to 13 years, then Baldwin = discovered the problems.  He told me he had left Baldwin some years back = before the purchase by Gibson and knew that there was no way that there = would be any warranty coverage now by Gibson. "So, tell me, how would = you remove the Corfam and replace with buckskin?". Apparently the "Brain = Gods" were with me and I remembered what Joe Garrett had recently = written in a thread "The proper kit for replacing Corfam is :Real buckskin, = Hide glue, a sharp knife and lotsa time". I had remembered other participants = talking about this problem going back into 1996 and was sure I'd find all = I needed in the archives, "And brother I sure did, all this morning".  = This Corfam was the light brown and hard, under the butt, when the = jack bounced back after let-off, it tapped on the hard = corfam.  Could not detect any click at the backchecks, and they had the corfam = also.  Sam explained, that at the time the corfam was used, = buckskin was difficult to get.  (I guess he should know) Sam asked me = to describe the procedure to replace the butts corfam with buckskin, = and having recently replaced the buckskin on 88 "Kimball" type = knuckles on my grand, having plenty of buckskin leftover, had the Olfa cutter and = self-healing board, lots of hot- hide glue crystals, lots of = wall-paper remover, I walked through what I believed it would take. Sam = sat there nodding his head approvingly and then asked if $500 would cover = the labor intensive procedure.  "Yes, I would think so, said I".  = "Dad, do you want to make that investment in this piano now"?.  "The = piano is probably now worth about $2300". Well, it was decided that Dad and = Mom would think this over. With the pitch raise and a double pass fine = tuning completed Sam asked me to give him some of my business cards and = proceeded to ask if I knew "Doyle, at Goshen College, did I know this = technician or that one, was I a member of the PTG?". Next time he would be = visiting Bob and Anne he'd bring along a stack of Steinway information and specifications.  "And by the way that was a good tuning, says = Sam, but Bob, it will probably be a little out of tune  in an hour = or so", and explained that the piano should be tuned again in another 3 = months, and that this was a sever pitch raise".   He told Dad = that he recommends tuning 4 times a year on Steinways.  Sure = would be nice to have a guy like this along with me every time I run into = this kind of a piano, ya know "Baldwins".  I tune other Hamiltons and = had not paid much attention to clicking noises, I sure will in the future, = but then, neither had the owners. Well, my fellow technicians, always = be on your toes, hope that you don't have a senior moment when your = called on, particularly by someone that could delve into more technical info = than your brain cells could store at the moment. I only wanted to = share this with you all and thank this list for "being there when you = need help". My Regards, Gordon Holley Goshen, IN Associate Member Indiana Chapter = 467 _______________________________________________ pia= notech list info: <A = href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>