<HTML><HEAD> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19088"></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face="MS Sans Serif">Bruce,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face="MS Sans Serif">Do you mean in the "middle": of the  flange, as in where the flange screw hole is?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face="MS Sans Serif">Joe</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=justpianos@gmail.com href="mailto:justpianos@gmail.com">Bruce Browning</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A>;<A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 7/26/2011 8:15:21 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pianotech] Chickering Grand Hammer Flanges</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2>I would anneal the plates, regardless, as they have a tendency to snap in the middle if tightened off centre, by accident of course.<BR><BR> <DIV class=gmail_quote>On 27 July 2011 01:25, Joseph Garrett <SPAN dir=ltr><<A href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex" class=gmail_quote>Ron said: "This will give you the numbers. Sometimes the Internet is<BR>actually good<BR>for something.<BR><A href="http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/linear-expansion-coefficients-d_95.html" target=_blank>http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/linear-expansion-coefficients-d_95.html</A><BR><BR>Brass expands more. So as you heat the things up, the steel screws<BR>should get looser in the brass, then tight again as everything cools.<BR>I'm not sure it's been satisfactorily determined whether the whole<BR>annealing process is worth the trouble though."<BR><BR>Ron,<BR>Thanks. That does gives some "numbers" to the question. Not sure if the<BR>numbers tell me anything more than brass expands a lot more than steel.<G><BR>My "gut" tells me to get rid of the flanges, but IF the annealing process<BR>gives them a new life, (which they have had for 100 years now.), it would<BR>be a whole lot less hassle to keep them. Of course, I must think of the<BR>"Long Term" implications as well. Hmmm? I've seen good results with<BR>annealed brass rails. The fellow that does them has done the rails with and<BR>without the screws and plates attached. He hasn't found there to be any<BR>difference, although he did add: "so far".<G> Things to think about for<BR>sure.<BR>Joe<BR><BR><BR>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain of the Tool Police<BR>Squares R I<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>Bruce Browning<BR>The Piano Tuner<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>