<!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 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>David,</DIV> <DIV>I think you've analyzed the situation pretty good. I would present = the options to the customer and let the customer decide. Explain that no = matter what you are going to be compensated for the time you spend trying to resolve = his problem. None of us carry around the equipment needed to spot hidden = cracks, so stop worrying about potential liability. Did any glue joints come apart = around the lower soundboard area? Does the action function properly, or at = least as good as it did before? Any obvious damper problems to alert you to = pinblock coming loose?</DIV> <DIV>Joseph Alkana  RPT<BR><A href="mailto:josephspiano@attbi.com">josephspiano@attbi.com</A></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"><B>From:</B> <A title=dnereson@dimensional.com = href="mailto:dnereson@dimensional.com">Dave Nereson</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> Thursday, February 28, = 2002 10:44 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> plate gonna = break?</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>    Tried to tune a 1964 Wurlitzer = spinet today that I've tuned many times,<BR>but the treble just wouldn't = hold.  Tuning pin torque was good -- not even<BR>marginally loose.   A4 = was only a couple beats flat, so I did a pitch raise,<BR>overshooting by a beat = or so.  Then started over to fine tune and the treble<BR>was still = way flat.  So I pitch raised just the treble, then went back = to<BR>fine tune and the treble was still way flat.  So I raised it = again,<BR>overpulling more than usual. Still way flat. Raised it again. Still quite<BR>flat. = In the middle of this 4th (!!) treble pitch raise, I remembered that<BR>the = last time a piano behaved like this, a strut was giving way and the<BR>plate broke.  So now I'm getting nervous and looking for signs of the plate<BR>pulling away from the back, or the pinblock separating, and = I'm inspecting<BR>the plate for any hairline cracks.  Nothing = apparent.  But I'm afraid to go<BR>on.  The middle of the piano is staying = in tune, but after 4 or 5 pitch<BR>raises in the treble, it's still not = holding.  Again, pin torque is good.<BR>    So I give up and tell = the owner I'm having a hard time with it and leery<BR>of going on for fear = something might be giving way.  He then informs me that<BR>a few = days ago the washing machine overflowed, flooding that area of the<BR>house = quite seriously.  But they started mopping up within 20 minutes, = then<BR>called some outfit (plumbers?), who brought in a heavy duty commercial<BR>dehumidifier, which had been running now for three days = (mainly to dry out<BR>the carpet, I guess).<BR>    Well, OK, = maybe that's why the weird behavior.  The last two times I<BR>tuned it = were both in the summer, and this is winter, so it's normal that = it<BR>would be somewhat flat, and the big dehumidifier should make it go even<BR>flatter.  But it should make the whole piano go flat, and = by quite a bit,<BR>not just 2 beats.  And it shouldn't cause the = treble section to not hold<BR>pitch even after 4 or 5 pitch raises.  I = don't know what to do now.  I'm<BR>afraid to raise it any more.  I = could just tune it to a lower pitch -- the<BR>owner doesn't absolutely need = it at A 440.<BR>    Is there any way to detect (besides X-ray) = if there's a crack in the<BR>plate that's not visually apparent?  I = tried tapping lightly around the<BR>plate with a small hammer, like brakemen = on trains used to do to detect<BR>cracked wheels, but discovered of = course that the plate doesn't ring like<BR>steel -- I knew that, but in wary, = cautious, nervous moments, you try<BR>anything that might give you some information.<BR>     We chose to wait a week or = two until the house climate is back to<BR>normal, then see what the pitch of the = piano does.  But what would you do?<BR>Go ahead and raise it and if it = breaks, it breaks?  Tune it to a lower<BR>pitch?  Tell him the plate = might be ready to crack and he should buy another<BR>piano?  Quit the = business & leave town so you don't have to deal with = it?<BR>           =             &= nbsp;           &n= bsp;           &nb= sp;           &nbs= p;           &nbsp= ;    <BR> --David Nereson, RPT, = Denver<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>