<HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>As Ed Foote mentioned, the piano is still under warranty.  I would be very concerned not to be in a position where a Steinway rep. can say "Of course it sounds bad. Look what this guy did to it."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>By the way, have you explored strike point changes?  This is the place where crazy hammer lines can work wonders.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Meanwhile, the little chip repair.  Remember, I've done this on wood block prints, not pianos!  However, on pianos I have used shoe pegs and maple plugs, both put in with epoxy.  My preference would be to try it first on a less critical piano.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The trick to the chip repair is that both the slot and the chip are tapered, so you can slide the chip in for a very close fit.  Cyano-epoxy might be the best glue.  Then burnish the chip to harden it, trim the edge with a chisel and drive the pin.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't have a piano in shop now that I can test this on.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ed Sutton<BR><BR><BR></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Andrew and Rebeca Anderson <ANREBE@SBCGLOBAL.NET><BR>Sent: Apr 25, 2006 6:03 PM <BR>To: ed440@mindspring.com, Pianotech List <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Subject: Re: Dealing with bridge damage. <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZBODY>Ed,<BR>This might be an acceptable alternative to pulling the plate and re-capping it.  The string I CA treated the first time around did not make it self obvious at the next tuning so it is holding as a temporary repair.  I did notice a loss of zing on the couple I treated but that was in a short period of time and probably the CA hadn't fully set.  I take notes on all my work so I'll go back with the notes and check into those strings specifically next service.  I'm not enthusiastic about it though...I've done wood work, this won't  be fun doing.  I guess a regular high bond wood glue will do the job of bonding in the new wood and a file and razor to level everything again without having to de-string everything and pull all the bridge pins for a plane.<BR><BR>Andrew Anderson<BR><BR>At 12:31 PM 4/25/2006, you wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">There is a repair technic used in woodblock printing: cut out the mistake with a small V gouge, then cut a sliver of wood with the same gouge, matching the grain orientation, and glue it in the groove, then plane the top level to the surface.<BR>If you pull the pins, you may be able to cut out the string dents and replace them with new wood and cut new edges to the notch.   Little V gouges can be gotten in art supply stores.<BR>Ed Sutton<BR><BR><BR> <DL> <DD>-----Original Message----- <BR> <DD>From: Andrew and Rebeca Anderson <BR> <DD>Sent: Apr 25, 2006 1:09 PM <BR> <DD>To: Pianotech List <BR> <DD>Subject: Dealing with bridge damage. <BR><BR> <DD>I've been maintaining a 4 year old D for this concert season at the local community college.  Almost every service I end up working on the treble bridge.  I've ultra-thin CA-treated the bridge pins to great benefit.  Closer investigation revealed that the persistent culprits had been victims of savage "string-seating".  Some were beating so wildly as to be practically un-tunable.  In desperation (concert in an hour) I treated one with gap filling CA glue.  It worked, but not without a price.  I've been planning to fix this bridge damage with a hard epoxy, selection process still ongoing (advice welcome and hereby solicited).  The string stopped beating but lost a little of its "sizzle."  I'm guessing that the CA isn't hard enough (or hadn't fully set).  Mind you, with the strings working in unison, I have more power after the treatment than before.  I've since done a few more that were obviously damaged.  I'm watching to see how they do long-term.  I don't see how I can re-cap the bridge with the plate still in.  Has anyone else tried to do this? <BR><BR> <DD>There is a little beating throughout this section and it does seem to be impedance related (heavy object in contact with bridge ameliorates it).  Probably why there is so much bridge damage--an in determined string-seating by a predecessor.  I am planning to do some work with that after I get approval to hang brass under the bridge.  We have also discussed a "treble tone resonator" (Pianotek belly brace) for this as well.  I have thought that placing a heavy weight against the belly rail here might be a test that could confirm whether or not this part would be a useful addition.  They do want some audible demonstration of the advantage of the expensive part.  There is a lack of sustain and power in the fifth and lower sixth octaves. <BR><BR> <DD>Overall the faculty is ecstatic with the improvement in the piano and I'm getting affectionate feedback that I must be nitpicking a little.  I guess it is</I> only</B> a Steinway. :-X<BR><BR> <DD>Andrew Anderson <BR></DD></DL></BLOCKQUOTE></ZZZBODY><BR></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>