<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: Counterbearing angle</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <STYLE type=text/css>BLOCKQUOTE { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } DL { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } UL { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } OL { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } LI { MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px } </STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr 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"><B>From:</B> <A title=sec@overspianos.com.au = href="mailto:sec@overspianos.com.au">Overs Pianos</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> March 27, 2001 1:57 = PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Counterbearing = angle</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite">They are easily<BR>shaped if needed and = -- depending on the exact alloy -- can approach the<BR>hardness of mild = steel while retaining the lubricity of brass.</BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>For pianos in commercial service (and tuned perhaps 4-5 times per = week), say an auditorium which is used daily for broadcasts or major = recording projects, the 'easily shaped' part is perhaps a bit of a worry. If it = is  easy for the technician to shape the capo bar, it follows that it must = also be easy for the piano wire the cut the capo bar to shreds, doing its = 'cheese cutter' thing. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>Well, as I said, the stuff is about as hard as mild = steel. What I mean by <EM>"easily shaped"</EM> is that if need be you can easily shape = it with a die grinder and a carbide burr with the thing clamped in a vise. You = can then dress it up nicely with an abrasive grinding disc. Hardly the kind of = thing the average technician is going to do just before tuning. Nor would it be = necessary. In my experience the wires show no propensity to cut into bars made of = silicon bronze so, no, the capo bars are not cut to shreds -- again, as I = said earlier, the stuff is about as hard as mild steel. It wears about as = much as a mild steel rod would, which is to say, not much. (I've also used that on = occasion; i.e., cut a groove in the V of the V-bar and inset a mild = steel rod. That also works nicely.)</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><BR> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>Regarding lubricity, our bar-hardened rebuilt pianos have = retained their easy rendering abilities, when compared to a standard as cast bar. = When the wire cuts into a non-hardened bar, the bar tends to 'grab' the wire to = the detriment of string rendering.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>I've not noticed any tendency for the strings to cut into = a cast silicon bronze V-bar. The stuff is hard enough on its own to resist = this.</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><BR> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite">I have designed these into several new = pianos, though I don't know of any that are still using them -- the = manufacturers seem to prefer struggling</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite">with improperly shaped and placed (but traditional) V-bars cast with the</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite">plate.</BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Many manufacturers simply 'don't give a damn'. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>Well, I did have hopes for the one...</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>Regards,</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>Del</DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> </DIV></BODY></HTML>