<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 11"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C5C81A.AB1A2750"> <link rel=Edit-Time-Data href="cid:editdata.mso"> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name="country-region"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#606420" = style='tab-interval:.5in' id="role_body" bottomMargin=7 leftmargin=7 topmargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Just be sure not to let the torch = singe your hair!! <span = style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>(Couldn’t resist!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>  </span>Same as the wrest pin/tuning pin, I’m sure you know that, across the pond, a torch = is a stick with fire on the end!)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font = size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span = style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font = size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> = pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span = style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Michael Gamble<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, October 03, = 2005 12:41 PM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Piannaman@aol.com; pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: some days = you get what you ask for</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = style='font-size: 12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-ansi-language:= EN-GB'>Yes, Dave,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-ansi-language:= EN-GB'>That was some day for you. I always try to repair broken bass strings = whenever possible, even if it means cutting back the windings on the speaking = length and making my gnott there. I find it works for maybe the knot replaces the = missing mass of copper. I did that on one-of-a-pair of bass strings in an old = Bluthner upright (vertical) and there was no mis-match – isn’t that something? As for treble pairs – again I try repair by = “pulling it round”. Of course this can only be done if the break occurs at the = wrest pin (sorry, tuning pin). I keep the string on the hitch by using a mini vise-clamp or even a surgical clamp (Joe G <G> gave it another = name, but I’ve forgotten). My light frequently comes from a torch held in = the teeth! Yummy!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-ansi-language:= EN-GB'>Regards from the failing light of a cloudy evening in The = Village.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-ansi-language:= EN-GB'>Michael G.(<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place = w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>)<o:p></o:p></span></font>= </p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-ansi-language:= EN-GB'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font = size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span = style='font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font = size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Piannaman@aol.com [mailto:Piannaman@aol.com] <br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 03 October 2005 = 05:40<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> pianotech@ptg.org<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> some days you = get what you ask for</span></font><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p> </o:p></spa= n></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>List,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Friday was certainly an interesting day on the job.  First piano was an old = Erhard upright, a nice old box made in 1919, pretty good shape.  It had a = broken high treble string on it, which I'd been aware of, and I replaced it no = problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Next piano, Acrosonic, circa 1950s.  Pitch raise, twang, G#2 wound = bicord snapped. A perfect candidate for one of the universal bass strings = a lug around.  As usual, spinning off excess copper was the most time = consuming part of this job.  Again, no real = problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>I was thinking about how much I've improved in various repairs, thanks to = many tips gleaned from this list and elsewhere in the PTG.  This type of = repair was once something I dreaded, now it's just something I do in the line = of duty.  "But," I told myself, "don't get cocky.  = How long's it been since you've replaced a long wire in an understrung = section of a piano?"  It had been awhile.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Which brings me to the next piano:  Steinway, a regular client, a nemesis = piano that always finds a way to lengthen the appointment beyond an acceptable length.  A 1915 or so M re-whatevered badly a couple of decades = ago.  I was hoping for the best, but it was the usual 8-10 cent late-summer = pitch raise.  No problem, at least until I got to A3.  Twang.  = The A#3-A3 wire snapped.  Went to the car, got stringing stuff including tube = to get string onto hitch pin.  In the failing light of the day, I got the = job done, but time would have been saved had I brought in my shop light so I = could see better to route the wire through the bridge = pins.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>The upside:  3 strings on the day, no bloody finger = tips.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>The weirdness:  Haven't had a string break in a few months.  Why = did they all gang up on me on one day???<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Tip #1:  putting some tension on the wire makes it MUCH easier to get = the string placed properly around the bridge pins in the understrung = areas.  <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Tip #2:  Lighting is a good thing when doing this sort of = job!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Thanks for reading,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span = lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;mso-ansi-language= :EN-GB'>Dave Stahl<o:p></o:p></span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>