<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">>But my question remains unanswered: from a structural standpoint, what would be the problem with filling a wide gap the entire length of the flange to pinblock joint? I don't think there would be a problem. - Terry Farrell</span><div>
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><br></span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Terry - Have you ever noticed how it's the poorly made, lower quality pianos where corners are cut, and short cuts are taken? If you haven't, start paying attention. </span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">I've got a collection of old pinblocks I've taken out of pianos of the whole range of quality levels. Invariably, it's the cheaply made dog of a piano where they've tried to fill in the gap where the pinblock fits the flange. I've got examples of pinblocks where wooden shims were shoved it, and hardened goop of various types has been used. </font></span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">As a piano technician, which brand name would your rather emulate - "Meldorf" or "Mason & Hamlin"? The last Meldorf that I had the misfortune to work on (the owner was quite attached to the instrument - I couldn't talk her out of it), had a pinblock that was "cut and filled" in the precise way you describe. The last Mason & Hamlin grand that I had the pleasure of rebuilding had a pinblock that fit like the proverbial glove. No goop whatsoever, because there was no gap to fill!</font></span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">The thing of it is, correctly fitting a pinblock is not that big of a deal. If you are careful in cutting with your bandsaw, less than an hour of work with a drum sander mounted on a drill and you'll have a fit that will pass the "business card test."</font></span></div>
<div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">For me, that's an hour well spent. Chuck</font></span></div>
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