<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>Does anyone have favorite methods = to fix crushed bridge capping?</EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV> <DIV><IMG alt="" hspace=0 = src="cid:00b601c5e31d$21dc2740$0201a8c0@FARRELL" align=baseline border=0></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Recap with quarter-sawn epoxy-laminated = hard maple capping material.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.farrellpiano.com">www.farrellpiano.com</A></FONT></DIV= > <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://farrellpiano.com/bridge.htm">http://farrellpiano.com/bridg= e.htm</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT> <DIV> </DIV></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>>I have a Steinway = D in my client inventory that I've just finished a <BR>> third tuning = service+ on.  It was some fourty cents low when I first <BR>> encountered = it.  The client wants this piano to be kept in premium <BR>> = condition from now on for his performance venue.<BR>> <BR>> No note was more = than three cents (A4) out when I measured it this <BR>> time so it is = settling down, somewhat.  I decided to do a little <BR>> maintenance on = the piano/string voicing side.  This involved <BR>> tightening loops = at the hitch-pins, straightening the path from the <BR>> hitch-pin to the = bridge pin (surprising how many clicked over into <BR>> place), seating from = front to back on the rear duplex, light seating <BR>> at the back of the = bridge, seating via use of a beat-suppressor on <BR>> the front side (no tapping).  The pitch dropped, as expected, from <BR>> three to = sixteen cents.  I then did an over-pull <BR>> pitch-correction.  = This is followed by seating the wire at the front <BR>> duplex, then lifting = in front of the capo and then on the back-side <BR>> of the capo.<BR>> = <BR>> After this I fine tuned the instrument.  String noise was greatly = <BR>> reduced but still persisted in the mid treble on some strings.  I = <BR>> tried holding something heavy against the front and back bridge pins = <BR>> and the beating/noise was reduced but not eliminated.  I tried = <BR>> driving the bridge pins a little.  There was some = improvement.  (BTW, <BR>> why does Steinway have to grind those pins flat?  It makes = it hard to <BR>> drive them without risking putting more torque off the = driving axis <BR>> stressing the hole.)<BR>> <BR>> So, I want to list all = possible culprits for future investigation.<BR>> Previous over aggressive string-seating.  (some areas look like the <BR>> string was = crushed down into the bridge)<BR>> Loose bridge pins<BR>> Kink in wire at front = bridge pin pulled into speaking length (should <BR>> stretch out between = tuning intervals?)<BR>> Poorly shaped or too-soft & cut-up capo d'astro bar<BR>> Scaling interference noise (choice of speaking length, node etc.)<BR>> Sympathetic beats from undamped duplexes elsewhere in the piano<BR>> Mis-shaped hammers<BR>> <BR>> Did I miss = anything?  How do you distinguish between the various <BR>> sources?  What are = your favorite solutions?<BR>> <BR>> Does anyone have favorite methods = to fix crushed bridge capping?  I <BR>> used CA on bridge pins that had = cracks on either side of them on a DH <BR>> Baldwin.  I think it kind = of worked to fill in some surfaces under <BR>> the strings too.  Did this = about a year ago, still going fine, and going...?<BR>> <BR>> How about = loose bridge pins?  Is it preferable to go up a size?  Or <BR>> = is it better to inject epoxy and re-insert?  I've used ultra thin CA = <BR>> glue on an older DH Baldwin grand that had grain parallel to the = <BR>> bridge pin torque and there were cracks on either side.  It worked = <BR>> fairly well.  I'm monitoring for long term results.<BR>> <BR>> Kink = in the wire?  I stretched everything with a beat suppressor.  I = <BR>> can't think of anything but time here.<BR>> <BR>> Capo = problems?  Excess paint and filler here can make noise.  Filing <BR>> that = off helps.  Poor shape, grooving, a dremel with a long stone <BR>> = bit works fairly well.  More ideas, cautions?<BR>> <BR>> Scaling problems?  Hammer shape/position might help.  Pitch-Lock = <BR>> clamps may reduce the noise.<BR>> <BR>> Sympathetic beats in the duplexes?  Long "bean-bags" such as Spurlock <BR>> uses for = damper work might help to eliminate this while tuning.  I'm <BR>> guessing = the Steinway duplexes don't slide around to permit tuning.<BR>> <BR>> = Poorly mated hammers?  Check and re-shape.  Joe's hammer shaping tool = <BR>> is cool!  I used it on a Wurlitzer studio piano that = needed <BR>> help.  It was fast reshaping the hammers and fast to mate = them to <BR>> the strings.  Amazing what that did to the sound.<BR>> = <BR>> Other ideas, observations, cautions etc. WELCOME ;-)<BR>> <BR>> = Andrew Anderson<BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> pianotech list = info: </FONT><A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"><FONT = face=Arial size=2>https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</FONT></A><BR><FON= T face=Arial size=2>></FONT></BODY></HTML>