<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HTML Message</TITLE> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> Got a 1921 Hamilton upright with something I have never run into before. Failing glue joints all over the place, action parts (especially flanges) are brittle as heck--can't sneak a screw head past the damper spoon, for example, without splitting the flange and/or the back of the wippen at the spoon on about every 5th one. This is happening all over the place. I've added about 8 lbs of epoxy and wood glue to the action, so far, and replaced several damper, wippen, hammer, and butt flanges. And repinned all the jack flanges that were incredibly tight. Oh, yeah, and 11 of the butts were broken just behind the hammer butt felt, including the very top of the butt flange birds eye. All the felts, including hammers, are in pretty good shape--no unusual wear, no sign of abuse.   Yeah, I know, I know, why am I even messing with it ... well it's a church friend and they have limited resources and ... well, ya know how it goes.   Overall condition of the piano, including bridges and soundboard seems just fine with no evidence of flooding, abuse, or any such, but the action is an absolute nightmare. Y'all ever seen anything like this, or am I uniquely blessed?   Thanks for letting me rant.   Alan Barnard Salem, MO Joshua 24:15 </BODY></HTML>