<!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 6.00.2737.800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=4>Hello:  What do you mean = by hammers uncrossed?  thanks  Jim Dally</FONT></STRONG></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=anrebe@zianet.com href="mailto:anrebe@zianet.com">Andrew = & Rebeca Anderson</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 17, 2004 = 10:54 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Loose tuning pins = on a Samick</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Daniel,<BR>I'm all for Dampp-Chasers on pianos but if = the bass tuning pins are already that loose I'd say the damage is already = done.  I've installed DCs and had loose tuning pins firm up and crossed (not = quite) hammers uncross in an upright.  If the grand piano were covered = with a DC you would get more benefit.  There usually isn't a direct opening = from under the soundboard into the action area for direct exposure.  = Humidity will cycle through the wood environment and it will get better than it = was.  Undoing the damage is another issue.  Preventing = further damage would be the reason for an install.  That would have to be = balanced against the current value of the piano and the cost to repair = it.  Something you and your customer are in a better position to discuss.<BR>CA glue is a quick and cheap way to fix loose tuning = pins.  It generally is not the preferred method for decent to good grand pianos.  If you elect to do this, be sure to protect the action = stack as CA glue can find its way down through the smallest of holes and do a = number on it.  (Tape foil up to the pin-block from underneath if you can't = leave the stack out for a day.)<BR>Others here can give you more experienced = advise on plugging, drilling and re-pinning or going up two sizes in pins etc.<BR><BR>Good luck,<BR>Andrew<BR><BR>At 08:42 AM 3/17/2004 -0800, = you wrote:<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT size=2>I = tuned this particular Samick grand for the first time the other day (5 foot 7 = inch, model SG-172). Before I started, the customer said the last = technician mentioned that some of the tuning pins were loose in one section, = and that it wasn't holding a tuning well. One of the first things I noticed = was how warm and dry the room felt. I asked the customer about this and she = said this room was always the warmest in the house. The piano, by the = way, is situated between two central air ceiling vents (about 2 or three = feet from either end of the piano).<BR><BR>So I went ahead and tuned the = piano, figuring I would check the tightness of the pins as I went. Most of = the pins were on the looser side but still held except three pins in the = bass. I would pull them up to pitch, and they would fall flat as soon as I = let go of the tuning hammer. <BR><BR>I bought a hygrometer and placed it on = the beam underneath the soundboard, intending to go back every day or two and = measure temp and humidity, as well as checking to see how well the tuning = holds in each section.<BR><BR>Is this a common problem in Samicks, or could = it just be lack of humidity?<BR><BR>Will solving the humidity problem (by = installing a Dampp-Chaser or putting a humidifier in the room) help tighten up = the pins enough to cause the loose bass pins to hold?<BR><BR>I'd prefer to = install a Dampp-Chaser (my first installation), but I don't know if she wants = to spend that much. How well would a humidifier work?<BR><BR>I heard that = replacing the strings might be the thing to do if repinning the block (if so, = bass strings only or bass and treble?). Stan Kroeger (former Samick = service manager) seemed to think using larger pins alone would solve the = problem, but others say use epoxy. ???<BR><BR>How much should I charge if I = repin the block and replace the strings? (And I'm assuming flat fee.) = <BR><BR>Should the customer bother asking the local dealer where she bought it = about whether Samick or the dealer itself would take care of the problem? = The serial # is 8707327. According to the Pierce Piano Atlas, the piano = is 16 or 17 years old (I think I did the math right). I failed to ask her = about a warranty.<BR><BR>I've been reading through postings on this same = subject, and I hear so many different opinions on what to do about this type = of problem. I'm not sure what to do.<BR><BR>Any suggestions and help = are greatly appreciated. <BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Daniel Carlton</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>