<br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">On Dec 24, 2007 11:59 AM, John Ross <<a href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</a>> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div bgcolor="#ffffff"> <div><strong><font face="Arial">Just one little thing re shimming the hole.</font></strong></div> <div><strong><font face="Arial">Hammer shanks would be end grain, which is not the best for screw holding, although the point might be mute, in large size screws.</font></strong></div> <div><strong><font face="Arial">I prefer bolts, to be sure.</font></strong></div> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div><font face="Arial" size="2">John M. Ross<br>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<br><a href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca" target="_blank">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</a></font></div></div> <blockquote dir="ltr" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial"><b>From:</b> <a title="IFixPianos@yahoo.com" href="mailto:IFixPianos@yahoo.com" target="_blank">Michael Magness</a> </div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="annie@allthingspiano.com" href="mailto:annie@allthingspiano.com" target="_blank">annie@allthingspiano.com</a> ; <a title="pianotech@ptg.org" href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" target="_blank"> Pianotech List</a> </div></div> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Monday, December 24, 2007 11:33 AM</div> <div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: plates, flying and otherwise</div> <div><br></div><br><br></div> <div class="gmail_quote"> <div class="Ih2E3d">On Dec 23, 2007 6:54 PM, Annie Grieshop <<a href="mailto:annie@allthingspiano.com" target="_blank">annie@allthingspiano.com</a>> wrote:<br></div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div>Here's something that's been bothering me for a few days:  has anyone on<br>this group actually been in the vicinity of a plate breaking? </div></div> <div><br><strong><font face="Arial">Big snip</font></strong></div> <div><strong><font face="Arial"></font></strong><br><font color="#888888"><br>Annie Grieshop <br><br><br></font></div></blockquote></div> <div><br><br clear="all">Hi Annie,</div> <div> </div> <div><strong><font face="Arial">Big snip</font></strong></div> <div class="Ih2E3d"> <div><strong><font face="Arial"></font></strong> </div> <div>tightening. </div> <div>When I check perimeter bolts/screws if I find stripped ones I remove them, singly, use old broken hammer shanks split in half that I've saved for that purpose with a little titebond in the hole then I replace the bolt or screw. </div> <div> </div> <div>Mike</div> <div>- <br>People who say it can't be done, should not interrupt those of us who are doing it.<br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404<br><a href="http://www.ifixpianos.com/" target="_blank">www.IFixPianos.com </a> <br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com" target="_blank">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div></div></blockquote></div></blockquote></div> <div>Hi Annie,</div> <div> </div> <div>First let me answer John's comment, I'm not FILLING the hole then putting the bolt back in. I'm talking about a bolt that turns and turns and turns, So I add some pieces of hammer shank and Titebond alphiatic resin glue to resize the hole to a slightly smaller diameter than the bolt threads. The bolt is still gripping primarily the rim material it has always gripped with some shards of maple added to tighten it up! I have run across pianos where the whole bolt line was stripped, I used epoxy filler after clamping the plate in place next to each bolt hole. </div> <div> </div> <div>Now Annie, as I have stated before, I have NOT had a plate break while I was tuning, thus far (he said knocking wood). As I begin my 39th year in this business I like to believe, knowing the junk, derelicts and downright crap I've worked on over the years that there is more than luck involved, perhaps some skill? I am careful when I come across some of these gems to ascertain if plate bolts are tight, if the plate is indeed at a 90 degree angle to the floor in an upright or is it leaning out toward me? Is this a guarantee? No! I've tuned a piano that rolled out of the back of a pickup, flipped over on it's top, sat for 20 minutes through a cloudburst, then was reloaded and moved the rest of the way to the farmhouse. I raised pitch a half tone on that one! Another was reclaimed from a landfill, I wouldn't have known but I asked about the unfinished front board and kickboard. Both were plywood proudly fashioned by the new owner, another 1/2 tone pitchraise. I used to tune one regularly that had the backposts sawn out of it, then glued back in after they moved it, they thought it would be lighter that way?! The guy was a wood shop teacher! I even tune one with a cracked plate, the crack is about 5 inches long from the center of the bottom, right behind the pedals, straight up to where someone drilled a hole in the plate to stop the crack! They put a lag bolt through the hole into the lower back beam, it's been that way for over 20 years now! I spotted it doing a pedal adjustment the first time I tuned it. </div> <div> </div> <div>So it's a matter of being careful, knowing when to walk away and keeping your eyes open and watching for those telltale signs that it might happen. And a lotta luck!</div> <div><grin></div> <div> </div> <div>Mike<br><br>-- <br>The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.<br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404<br><a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com"> mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div>